NEW JERSEY 101.5

An employee benefits consultant from New Jersey is hoping to clear up some of the common misconceptions about Obamacare, and he has even written a book about the topic.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
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Scott Hafetz, of Hafetz and Associates in Linwood, said they get regular calls from people who think affordable health care means free health care.

"A lot of our clients think there's some sort of silver bullet that they don't know about and there really isn't," Hafetz explained. "They're all looking for affordable or this free insurance and it's not."

Hafetz finds one aspect of the federal health reforms particularly helpful and that's the income eligibility expansion of Medicaid.

"People that are earning between $11,500 and $15,300 are now eligible for Medicaid that weren't before," he said.

If you were wondering what factors go into determining health insurance cost under the reforms? Hafetz said it's based on income, household income and age and he said the definition of affordability varies greatly depending on who you talk to.

"We have some clients that think it's reasonable and some that think that it's outrageously expensive."

Hafetz said age and income determines an individuals health insurance subsidies.

"So, for example, a 30-year-old making $30,000 a year would have a $75 subsidy. A 30-year-old making $35,000 a year, $5,000 more, the subsidy is $9," he explained.

Scott Hafetz
Scott Hafetz
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With online glitches and uproar over people being dropped nationwide by their health insurance carriers, it is clear that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is not a perfect plan.

Hafetz said he and others in his profession make a regular trek to the nation's capital to get answers to questions about Federal Health Reforms, but finds it disturbing that the lawmakers themselves have no answers.

Hafetz has written a book called 'Business Owners Guide to Health Care Reform and Group Insurance' to answer some of the most common questions about the ACA.

You can get more information about the book by visiting the official website or calling 866-994-2338.

 

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