I feel so defeated with health insurance right now(Illinois)
TLDR lost employer health coverage. Trying to apply in marketplace. It says I qualify for Medicaid, but Medicaid says I make too much. I can’t get insurance now.
I had employer coverage until a few weeks ago. I had surgery on my knee, and was unable to return to my old position. My employer has refused lighter duty, primarily for safety reasons, and my leave is now out. They offered me COBRA, at a cost that’s $600 more than the disability insurance pays me a month.
They dropped my insurance two weeks earlier than planned too. I found out when I went to my surgeon for my follow up visit. I had to cancel the visit, because without insurance they wanted $400, which I don’t have. I’ve also had to cancel my physical therapy appointments, because I can’t afford them without health insurance.
So I got on the marketplace. My income is only about $2,400 a month right now. That’s my disability insurance, and my wife’s social security payment (she’s on disability and Medicare). Me daughters are both in their early twenties, one lives with me and the other in Indiana, but both were on my insurance.
I filed for marketplace coverage for me, my wife, and the daughter that lives with me. It said my other daughter didn’t qualify because she lived in another state. The website then told me that based on my income, that my daughter and I would qualify for Medicaid, and it applied for that.
Then this week I got a letter saying my income is probably too high for Medicaid, but that they would continue processing the application. The thing is, the marketplace won’t let me shop plans either. If I don’t get my follow up and PT back on track soon, I’ll lose my disability insurance payment. Not to mention, I need the PT to get myself back to being able to work full time again.
I’m seriously feeling just screwed right now. I’m guessing I need to help my wife get a Medicare plan for next year before the 4th. My daughter will be okay, barring any medical emergency right now. But I desperately need insurance quickly. I can handle co-pays, but no insurance visits to a specialist and PT are just too much.
