Affordable Care Act: Most get insurance $100/month or less

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Nearly 6-in-10 uninsured U.S. adults could get low-cost, high-value health insurance for less than $100 per month under healthcare reform, officials say.

Under the Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Marketplace, those uninsured or underinsured might be able to buy health insurance for the first time or buy it at a lower cost than they are currently paying.

"You'll see the amount of savings you're eligible for when you fill out your Marketplace application beginning Oct. 1," the website Healthcare.gov said.

"These lower costs are handled with a tax credit called the Advance Premium Tax Credit. But these tax credits can be applied directly to your monthly premiums, so you get the lower costs immediately."

Individuals will be able to get a rough estimate of health insurance costs and savings under the Affordable Care Act before Oct. 1 by using the Kaiser Family Foundation calculator: http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/.

An individual's savings on health insurance will depend on personal income and family size. In general, if a person's income falls within the following ranges they'll qualify to save money on health insurance premiums in 2014, the website said.

"The lower your income within these ranges, the more you'll save," Healthcare.gov said. The amounts below are based on 2013 numbers and are likely to be slightly higher in 2014:

-- $11,490 to $45,960 for individuals.

-- $15,510 to $62,040 for a family of 2.

-- $19,530 to $78,120 for a family of 3.

-- $23,550 to $94,200 for a family of 4.

-- $27,570 to $110,280 for a family of 5.

-- $31,590 to $126,360 for a family of 6.

-- $35,610 to $142,440 for a family of 7.

-- $39,630 to $158,520 for a family of 8.

"If your income falls below the amounts shown, you may qualify for coverage under your state's Medicaid program," Healthcare.gov said. "But if your state is not expanding Medicaid in 2014 -- and you don't qualify for Medicaid under your state's rules -- you can't get lower costs on Marketplace coverage based on your income. You'd have to pay the entire cost of a Marketplace insurance plan."