Tips real estate agents can use to qualify for ‘Obamacare’ credits | Chappaqua Real Estate

Last week, a 57-year-old Florida Realtor named Dianne Barrette got a good deal of publicity — not because of her real estate activities, but because of health insurance.

It turned out that she was one of hundreds of thousands of Americans who have been informed by their health insurers that their plans will not be renewed for 2014 because they don’t comply with the new “Obamacare” requirements.

Her insurer, FloridaBlue, offered her a new plan, but told her the premium would be $591 a month, far more than the approximately $50 a month she had been paying.

Barrette, who makes $30,000 a year, could not pay for such a plan. She soon became the poster child for the anti-”Obamacare” crowd, making appearances on Fox News and other media. However, when reporters dug a little deeper into Barrette’s story, the truth turned out to be a quite different than initially reported: Rather than being an “’Obamacare’ victim,” she was an “Obamacare” beneficiary.

Because of her relatively modest income, she qualifies for substantial tax credits if she purchases new health insurance through her state’s online exchange. Reporters found that, with the credits, she could obtain far better health insurance than she had before for $100-$150 per month out of pocket, with the credits paying for the rest. She was delighted and quickly became a nonperson to Fox News.

Don’t let the naysayers fool you. For most self-employed Realtors like Dianne Barrette, and other self-employed people, “Obamacare” is the best thing that’s happened in decades. Historically, obtaining affordable health insurance coverage has been one of the greatest challenges the self-employed face, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/11/11/tips-real-estate-agents-can-use-to-qualify-for-obamacare-credits/#sthash.mTTuxx8T.dpuf