Anxiety from falling off Jersey Care

amother

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 9:49 am

I feel like I am so anxious and my heart is pounding that I am on the verge of losing my health insurance. I just completed the renewal.

For background, we are a family of 7 and we just make it every month. BH no debt and low mortgage. But everything is so so tight. Every month we have almost exactly enough. This is how it is for a number of years. I've gotten raises however my husband was diagnosed with a condition that makes it hard for him to work. (but he is not eligible for disability). I am so grateful that I manage to scrape by but I'm honestly in state of panic that we are about to lose my health coverage. I will have to pay $500 a month and get worse benefits. I know hashem is in charge and can so easily turn things around for me so that the $500 is nothing to deal with. But until that point. I feel strangled, helpless, angry. I should be grateful that I had these benefits until now but what else can I cut out?

I'm a regular lakewood family.

No vacation ever.
No minivan.
No cleaning help ever.
No restaurants.

I work 2 jobs.

What more can I do? I'm willing to listen to all ideas. I am going to use united refuah but even they got so expensive.

Help! and can anyone relate to my feelings?

amother

DarkPurple

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 9:53 am

Yes! Me! It was a bracha to be on Jersey Care all these years but the falloff feels harder. I've been off before and I've panicked but Hashem got us through. IyH the same will happen for you!

amother

Quince

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 9:57 am

Your kids are likely still eligible for njfamilycare which will save you a ton. Then you can go to the marketplace and see what your options are for a plan for you and DH

I do not recommend a health share, especially if your DH already has medical issues. It will not be covered..

amother

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 10:08 am

My husband and I are already not on jersey care for many years. It's just my kids. But the savings was enormous and the benefits are incredible. Free dentist, eye doctor etc.

Get covered is going to cost me money. Money that I don't have since I've been scraping by.

I am going through my budget - I could cut out plastic but that's crazy for me since I work full full time and have no cleaning help.

Snacks for kids - I could cut out but then they'll be miserable.

I just don't know anymore.

amother

Mimosa

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 1:57 pm

Are u above ALL limits? With a family your size snd 1 income you may be eligible for state level jersey care with a co-pay. That's what I ended up with after we got kicked off post covid. My husband and myself have relative low get covered plans. Hatzlocha

amother

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 1:59 pm

amother Mimosa wrote:

Tysm.
I would be so thrilled to even pay $200 to get the same coverage. At the end of the application it said something about being handed over to the state. I wonder if that’s why.

amother

DarkPurple

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 2:04 pm

amother OP wrote:

Tysm.
I would be so thrilled to even pay $200 to get the same coverage. At the end of the application it said something about being handed over to the state. I wonder if that’s why.

Do you earn over 160k a year? If not your kids are still eligible for state insurance with co-pays. We've been on that for years.

amother

Burlywood

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 2:15 pm

Jerseycare can either be through the county or through the state. It could be income is one of the things that determine which you go through. It doesn't necessarily mean that you will be cut off. Where does your income fall on the eligibility chart?

amother

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 2:55 pm

amother Oxfordblue wrote:

I can help you figure out what you might be eligible if you tell me your gross family income.
I used to do this for a living.

It’s 161k. I’m literally on the border. ☹️I wish they had Jersey care benefits for everyone to buy into based off income once your income exceeds their threshold.

amother

DarkPurple

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 2:57 pm

amother OP wrote:

It’s 161k. I’m literally on the border. ☹️I wish they had Jersey care benefits for everyone to buy into based off income once your income exceeds their threshold.

Uch, that's terrible. You gotta get rid of that extra 1k unless you hope to get a big raise soon.

amother

DarkPurple

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 2:59 pm

Just curious why you are so exceedingly tight with a salary that size and a low mtg. I have 5 kids in Lakewood with quite a high mtg. On a small house (just bought) I make less than you and I'm not swimming in cash but I do have cleaning help.

amother

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 3:01 pm

amother DarkPurple wrote:

I’m happy yo send around my budget maybe later tonight. I’d love to hear and get help. Ty!

amother

Oxfordblue

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 3:46 pm

amother OP wrote:

It’s 161k. I’m literally on the border. ☹️I wish they had Jersey care benefits for everyone to buy into based off income once your income exceeds their threshold.

How old is your youngest? Are you expecting?
(They ask this to determine eligibility)
I’ll try to plug in the numbers later for you?

amother

Azure

Wed, Dec 27 2023, 4:01 pm

amother Ginger wrote:

I have heard of people putting money into a 401k to lower income for jersey care.

With such a small difference, a simple traditional IRA should do the trick most easily.

amother

Oleander

Thu, Dec 28 2023, 1:09 am

The IRA solution makes the most sense, literally knock it down by 2k, which is like 160$ a month, which is way less then anything else would cost you. And honestly you need a retirement plan anyways SS is not enough.

In general - worth going thru your bills and making sure you are getting the best possible deals for things like phones, internet, home insurance, car insurance ect. Often you shop around when you purchase a plan, and over time it changes without us realizing, or other cheaper options come up.
If dh is capable of this, it can make a huge difference monthly (it does take time to look at every single option and compare pro's and cons) if not hopefully you can find a way to fit it in.

Makes sure you don't have any subscriptions like amazon prime - if you need something with prime, the first month is free and then make sure to cancel.

Those are things I noticed on our budget that ended up really freeing up a couple hundred dollars a month, which allowed us to start breathing.