Oklahomans Search For Best Deal In Health Care Marketplace

More than 100,000 Oklahomans are already insured through the Health Care Marketplace for 2015. That's 30,000 more than last year.

In our state, it's mostly young adults, part-time workers and people who are semi-retired who are getting coverage under the Affordable Health Care Act.

More Oklahomans are enrolling, but there are snags. Some plans have been canceled, and there are still Oklahomans who just can't get coverage because it's not affordable for all.

If you make $12,000, are single, and choose a silver plan, which is a third-tier plan (bronze, silver, gold, platinum), you can get a $0 premium and $500 deductible. That's right above the poverty threshold, and the best bang-for-your-buck plan on the marketplace, according to Myron Anderson with Morton Comprehensive Health.

But, he says, for those below the poverty line, getting a plan in the marketplace is impractical.

"We have seen quite a few people who don't qualify for Medicaid and don't qualify for the tax credits that would make purchasing insurance on the marketplace affordable," he said.

Those below the poverty level do not qualify for tax credits or cost-sharing, meaning their premium could be $400, and deductible could reach $6,000.

"There is disappointment when we have people who come in and have absolutely no means to provide for themselves," said Myron Anderson, Morton Comprehensive Health.

But most people who make between $12,000 and $48,000 can qualify for tax credits and cost-sharing.

"A lot of people are able to actually get insurance and pay no premium because their tax credit exceeds their monthly premium," Anderson said.

The zip code with the highest marketplace enrollment in the state isn't in Tulsa, or Oklahoma City, it's in Broken Arrow. More than 2,000 people are enrolled in zip code 74012.

"Most of the people who purchase insurance on the marketplace are working people," he said.

Anderson says the biggest snag in enrollment this year is due to canceled plans.

Overall, Anderson says the people he's enrolling are pleased.

You will pay a penalty if you did not have insurance for more than three months last year. The penalty is either 1 percent of your income or $95 per adult and $47 dollars per child.

The penalty goes up the following year to $325 for each adult and half that for each child.

Some important dates for those seeking more information on the Affordable Care Act....

February 6 - 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. – ACA (Affordable Care Act)/Claim Your Coverage committee will host a Marketplace enrollment event at All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Ave.

February 7 - 9 a.m. – 5p.m. – Morton Comprehensive Health Services and other partners in the community will cosponsor a Marketplace enrollment event at MCHS, 1134 N. Lansing Ave.

February 14 - 9 a.m. – 5p.m. – Morton Comprehensive Health Services and other partners in the community will cosponsor a Marketplace enrollment event at MCHS, 1134 N. Lansing Ave.