Residents of Kentucky can get low-cost health insurance through the state health insurance exchange or Medicaid, while the best policy for you will depend on your medical needs and financial condition.
The Bluegrass state provides a wide range of health insurance options. We’ll go through how to get covered, where to get the best insurance, what the enrolling period is like, and what the rules are.
Table of contents
- What Is Health Insurance?
- What Are The Insurance Providers And Kentucky Health Insurance Plans Comparison?
- What Are The Cheapest Health Insurance Plan By Cities In Kentucky?
- What Is The Average Cost of Health Insurance In Kentucky?
- What Is The Kentucky Health Insurance Guide And Resources?
- What Are Those Tips On How To Save On Health Insurance In Kentucky?
- What Are The Best Affordable Health Insurance Companies In Kentucky?
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Conclusion
- References
- Recommendations
What Is Health Insurance?
Health insurance is a contract that requires an insurer to pay some or all of a person’s medical expenditures for a premium. Health insurance, in particular, frequently covers the insured’s medical, surgical, prescription drug, and dental costs.
Besides that, health insurance can either pay the healthcare provider directly or reimburse the insured for expenses incurred because of illness or an accident.
It’s often included in employee benefit packages to entice top personnel, with premiums partially covered by the company but withheld from employee paychecks.
The cost of health insurance premiums is deductible to the payer, and the benefits received are tax-free, with a few exceptions for S business employees.
What Are The Insurance Providers And Kentucky Health Insurance Plans Comparison?
Anthem BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) Kentucky and CareSource Kentucky are the two health insurance carriers that now offer coverage on the state marketplace exchange.
Both firms’ health insurance plans are divided into four categories, including a catastrophic option.
Each firm offers Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans, with clients choosing their coverage, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance combinations.
Bronze Tier Plans
These policies have a low monthly cost and provide the least amount of coverage, making them ideal for young individuals. They have the highest deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket expenses. For highly healthy persons, bronze plans from each carrier should be considered.
Silver Tier Plans
Most customers know them as “middle-of-the-road” plans. They feature fair premiums, reasonable deductibles, and reasonable out-of-pocket maximums. These plans are ideal for new-parent families and those who expect to incur higher medical bills in the future.
Gold and Platinum Tier Plans
In Kentucky, the highest tiers are Gold and Platinum. Although the plans have a high monthly cost, they also have low deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. They’re helpful if you have a lot of medical bills.
You’ll hit your deductible faster this way, and your coinsurance benefits will kick in sooner. They designed them for those who have ongoing health issues or who require continual care.
Catastrophic
Residents of Kentucky might be eligible for a catastrophic plan, which is the cheapest option on the market. Catastrophic plans feature low monthly premiums but huge deductibles each year. They offer it to those under the age of 30. In the event of an emergency, you’ll have to pay additional money out of pocket on top of your deductibles.
The ACA premium tax credits are available for many health insurances. Low-income families and households earning less than 250 per cent of the federal poverty line are eligible for the reductions.
What Are The Cheapest Health Insurance Plan By Cities In Kentucky?
Both Kentucky insurance firms offer services in every county in the state, although the monthly rate for a health insurance plan varies by city.
Finding low-cost health insurance in Kentucky can be difficult, as plans and monthly costs vary depending on the region and the age of the people covered.
For example, health insurance quotes in Kentucky revealed that the cheapest monthly cost for a Silver-tier plan for a 40-year-old individual is $406 in Louisville and Jefferson County, making it the most economical health insurance in Kentucky out of the major cities.
Lexington and Bowling Green are the next two cities, with monthly costs ranging from $444 to $465 for a 40-year-old subject.
For the same 40-year-old subject, Owensboro in Daviess county with $550 and Covington in Kenton county with $502 has one of the most expensive rates for health coverage.
What Is The Average Cost of Health Insurance In Kentucky?
Premiums in Kentucky health insurance rates have been steadily lowering over the last two years for every metal tier plan available.
The monthly premium for a 40-year-old individual in each metal grade is estimated to be $387 for the Bronze Plan, $514 for Silver, $612 for Gold, and $304 for catastrophic.
Let’s look at the typical cost of health insurance in Kentucky based on the size of your family. In Kentucky, the typical monthly premium for a family of four can range from $1,041 for a Bronze plan to $1,212 for a Silver plan, $1,437 for Gold, and $1,610 for Platinum.
What Is The Kentucky Health Insurance Guide And Resources?
Kentucky residents have three options for getting health insurance:
Employer-sponsored health insurance is the coverage given by an employer or a spouse’s employer. This is how 47 per cent of Kentucky citizens gain their health insurance.
Individual or family health insurance policies are available in Kentucky through HealthCare.gov or directly from a health insurance company. In Kentucky, about 4% of the population buys health insurance from a private company rather than the marketplace.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, funds Medicare and Medicaid, two government-funded healthcare systems.
Medicare is mostly for senior citizens, whereas Medicaid is for low-income families and children. In Kentucky, Medicaid covers 26% of the population, while Medicare covers 15% of the population.
Residents aged 65 and up are eligible for Medicare. Parts A, B, C, D, and supplemental coverage plans are among the coverage options available under the programme.
Medicaid is a state and federally financed programme that covers low-income adults and their families for a modest monthly fee. Health, vision, dental, and prescription drug coverage are all included.
There’s also the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program, or KCHIP, which provides free health insurance to children under the age of 19 who live in low-income families.
Primary care, vision care, dental appointments, and physician check-ups are all covered under CHIP. The initiative also provides immunization for children, considering the current scenario.
What Are Those Tips On How To Save On Health Insurance In Kentucky?
While shopping for health insurance in Kentucky, there are a few cost-effective techniques to save money and safeguard your investment in the long run.
The following are some elements that influence your premium costs:
- BMI (Body Mass Index) is a measurement of how (BMI)
- Tobacco consumption/smoking
- Reductions in cost-sharing based on age and location
- Health Insurance for Individuals
- Health Insurance for Families
- Hobbies
- Pre-existing ailments
- Insurance and Medical History by Gender
What Are The Best Affordable Health Insurance Companies In Kentucky?
Kentucky has been one of the most successful states in lowering the uninsured rate since it established the Affordable Care Act.
In 2023, WellCare of Kentucky will offer improved plans for the first time. Boone and Jefferson Counties will be among the 63 counties where their plans will be accessible.
Expanded Bronze plans are the most economical through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, while Gold, Silver, and Bronze plans are the most affordable with Ambetter.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Kentucky has remained one of the most successful states in reducing the uninsured rate among the population by extending Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and adopting a state-run health insurance marketplace.
Medicaid is available to those with a family income of up to 138 per cent of the federal poverty level (FPL). In dollars, an individual’s eligibility maximum is $17,608, while a family of four’s limit is $36,156.
The KY Children’s Health Insurance Program is available to children aged 1 to 18 who have a household income of up to 159 per cent of the federal poverty level (FPL) or who have a family income that is too high to qualify for Medicaid, but not over 213 per cent of the FPL.
Medicaid is also available to pregnant women whose family income is up to 195 per cent of the federal poverty level.
You must be between health plans, outside of the enrollment period, or in need of coverage in the event of an emergency to qualify for short-term health insurance in Kentucky.
For the year 2020, the total uninsured population in Kentucky was 6% of the total population.
There is no federal tax penalty for not having health insurance, and no state law forces firms to provide group health insurance to their employees, yet most do.
Conclusion
Having analyzed all health insurance plans on the Kentucky marketplace, you find out that whether it’s the Ambetter Balanced Care 30 or the CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver will depend on your medical needs and your financial position.
References
Recommendations
