My husband and I are separated and planning to divorce. I’m currently on his Medi-Cal plan, but when I reported the separation, they told me my coverage will end in November. I don’t qualify for Medi-Cal on my own because of my income, and the health insurance offered at my job is expensive.
I need to find a new health insurance plan that I can actually afford. I have some health issues and need medication, so skipping insurance isn’t an option.
I’m 30, live in California, and my estimated gross income is $38,000. What’s my best option?
Just to clarify—when you were on Medi-Cal with your husband, they factored in both your incomes, but now that you’re on your own, you no longer qualify? That makes sense if he wasn’t working and your income was the only one considered.
For a single person, the Medi-Cal income limit is around $20,700, so you’re over that.
As for work insurance, how much does the cheapest plan cost? If the lowest-priced plan costs less than 8.39% of your gross income for 2024 (or 9.02% for 2025), then it meets the ACA affordability standard. If that’s the case, you wouldn’t qualify for any subsidy through Covered California.
@Peyton
Yeah, my husband isn’t working, so when I was on his Medi-Cal plan, it was based on a two-person household. Now they’re looking only at my income, which is too high for Medi-Cal.
At work, my insurance costs $220 a month, including dental and vision. My gross income is about $3,200 per month, and my net income is between $2,200 and $2,300.
@Uma
That $220 monthly cost is about 6.9% of your gross income, which means it falls under the ACA’s affordability rule. Since your job offers an ‘affordable’ plan, you won’t qualify for subsidies through Covered California, so your best option is likely to take the work plan.
Since your job offers an insurance plan that meets affordability standards, you likely won’t qualify for a subsidy through Covered California. That means you’d have to pay full price for a marketplace plan, which would probably be more expensive than the insurance offered at work.
Uma said:
The insurance at my job is $220 a month, and my estimated gross income is $38,000. I’m trying to figure out if there’s anything cheaper.
Unfortunately, since $220 is under the ACA’s affordability limit, you won’t qualify for subsidies to lower the cost of a Covered California plan. The job-based plan is probably your best option if you want comprehensive coverage.