Calculator estimates government health insurance subsidy

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MENLO PARK, Calif., June 28 (UPI) -- People whose employer doesn't provide health insurance and buy individual policies on their own can calculate their savings online, a U.S. non-profit says.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation set up a "Subsidy Calculator" on its Web site for those who buy individual health insurance policies.

By answering five simple questions: Income, age of policyholder, single or family type health insurance, if employer coverage was available and regional costs for the region being, low, medium or high the calculator can estimate if a government subsidy for health insurance will be available.

For instance, a healthy single 30-year old with an income of 225 percent of the poverty level -- expected to be a little less than $26,000 in 2014 -- could have to pay an estimated $3,440 annual premium for an unsubsidized silver health insurance plan, the Kaiser Foundation said.

However, this person under the Affordable Care Act would be eligible for a government tax credit of $1,583, effectively reducing the premium 46 percent to $1,857.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost of these government subsidies would total some $50 billion a year by 2017.

The calculator does not apply to people with coverage available through an employer.

The calculator is at: http://healthreform.kff.org/Home/KHS/SubsidyCalculator.aspx?source=FS.