I don't understand why Kaiser's calculator does ask us to key in household income and family size, but does not allow us to key in the amount we pay for health insurance through our employer(s).

When I tried to use the calculator, I got only a response indicating that, due to my answering that we have access to employer health insurance, my household cannot participate in the exchange unless we pay more than 9.5% of our income for its premiums.

We have always paid around 10% of our income for its premiums and, at the new position my husband is to assume this week, we will now pay waaay more than 10% of our income for premiums.

Knowing the median household income for Knox County and knowing about what employers' premiums to be payroll deducted for family health coverage generally run, I would think that most local families pay as much proportionately as we do.

So I would also think that this calculator is inadequate to provide any definitive info on options for most local families.

Where's the calculator that will tell me if we have options?

And our COBRA coverage for the family through the mister's recent period of unemployment ran $1279.65 per month.

I don't mind telling you that the mister didn't earn any $12,000 plus per month, even when he held that job.

Again, where's the calculator for folks who pay what we pay, proportionately, for employer-based insurance?

(Back from running my son in to school...)

Toby, that last comment of mine sounded harsher than I intended, so my apologies. I meant only to point out 1) that your own financial circumstances aren't representative of the median, and 2) that Knox Countians' median household income of $47 589 doesn't vary much from Americans' median household income of $52,946, per MuniNet anyway.

I do not therefore expect that this family's proportionate cost of health insurance relative to income varies too much from that of most families nationwide.

Becky, thanks for that toll free phone number (and for your leadership at the Beck Center the other night, too, where I learned a lot). I'll use it later today.

I will offer that since I made that post yesterday, citing my desire to know what marketplace options may exist for households paying more than 9.5% of income for family coverage, a neighbor who works in human resources explained to me that marketplace options will likely exist only for households paying more than 9.5% of income for single coverage.

I am disappointed to expect, then, that the PPACA's marketplace will not likely offer any relief for families dedicating 15% and 20% and 25% of household income to health insurance premiums.

That gap in the Act would be at least as disappointing as the gap we know exists for households unable to get relief from any Medicaid expansion, but unable to afford marketplace premiums, either.

Ah, well. I have to date supported the PPACA and I will be sure to share here any tips I should pick up in the coming weeks as to how we Average Joes may benefit from the new marketplace.

One thing about the calculator is that it is kind of generic. The idea is that exchanges will promote competition at the state level, and I'm not clear how this is factored in if at all. Maybe it's just based on overall federal statutory limits and guidelines.

Community Healthcare Alliance is the third option.

Oops.

Probably Community Health Alliance (I use lots of abbreviations in notes and xometimes cannot decipher them)

(link...)

about co-ops here

Randy, per the link to that prior MP story on CHA that said they hoped to engage Summit Medical Group as primary providers here in Knoxville, I phoned them to ask whether they had. They said "yes," which I was glad to hear.

I also asked if CHA is able to quote any rates just yet and they said "no, not until October 1."

Becky, I forgot when I made that call to ask for CHA's provider list, but I immediately called back and left a message asking that they send me one, as it's available. Thanks for suggesting it.