January 6, 2016
By: Andrew McKinnon, Tampa, Florida
Like many New Year’s resolutions, the pledge to give up smoking is often forgotten by the time February rolls around. It’s a challenge, but one that is well worth the effort. Not only is it good for your health, I found that quitting smoking has been good for my health insurance costs, as well.
I lost my health insurance when I moved to Tampa for the Master’s program in epidemiology and global health at the University of South Florida. But I was able to enroll in an affordable plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace for $106 a month after tax credits in 2014. It might have cost even less, but I was a smoker then.
I knew smoking was bad for me, so I eventually went cold turkey. To my surprise, my premium dropped to $36 a month after tax credits for 2015. And if I need help staying tobacco-free, my insurance covers smoking cessation and other preventive services at no out-of-pocket cost—just like every new plan does now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
When I renewed recently for 2016 Marketplace coverage, my premium increased by $13 a month, which is still very affordable for this grad student. In fact, I have better insurance than before. I have no deductible and my out-of-pocket cost for seeing a primary care doctor is only $2. That beats the cost of a pack of cigarettes on any day.
READ MORE: Andrew’s #GetCovered Story: Insuring a Healthy New YearI knew smoking was bad for me, so I eventually went cold turkey. To my surprise, my premium dropped to $36 a month after tax credits for 2015. And if I need help staying tobacco-free, my insurance covers smoking cessation and other preventive services at no out-of-pocket cost—just like every new plan does now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
When I renewed recently for 2016 Marketplace coverage, my premium increased by $13 a month, which is still very affordable for this grad student. In fact, I have better insurance than before. I have no deductible and my out-of-pocket cost for seeing a primary care doctor is only $2. That beats the cost of a pack of cigarettes on any day.
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