By: Michael Allbee, CFP®, Senior Portfolio Manager
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, the Act provides near-immediate, tangible benefits American families by lowering costs for home energy, new vehicles, health coverage, and prescription drugs. We previously discussed some of the significant provisions in the Act but we wanted to elaborate on what the Inflation Reduction Act means for you as discussed below (not an all-inclusive list).
Healthcare:
Energy-Related Tax Credits:
The annual limits for specific types of qualifying improvements will be:
While these changes may not impact your individual tax bill, please contact us if you want to continue the conversation around tax planning and how these tax credits may save you money at tax time.
Disclosure: BFSG does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to BFSG’s website or blog or incorporated herein and takes no responsibility for any such content. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly. Please remember that different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including those undertaken or recommended by Company), will be profitable or equal any historical performance level(s). Please see important disclosure information here.
Beginning on November 1, 2020, individuals (including families) may apply for new health insurance, switch to a different health-care plan, or re-enroll in their current plan through a Health Insurance Marketplace under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The open enrollment period for 2021 health coverage ends on December 15, 2020.
If you don’t have health insurance through a job, Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or another source that provides qualifying health coverage, the Marketplace can help you get covered. If you have job-based insurance, you can buy a plan through the Marketplace, but you’ll pay full price unless your employer’s insurance doesn’t meet certain standards. Most job-based plans do meet the standards. If you have Medicare, you can’t switch to Marketplace insurance, supplement your coverage with a Marketplace plan, or buy a Marketplace dental plan.
Individuals can use Health Insurance Marketplaces to compare health plans for benefits and prices and to select a plan that fits their needs. December 15 is the deadline to enroll in or change plans for new coverage to start January 1, 2021. For those who fail to meet the December 15 deadline, the only way to enroll in a Marketplace health plan is during a special enrollment period. To qualify for special enrollment, an individual must have a qualifying life event such as a change in family status (for example, marriage, divorce, birth, or adoption of a child), change in residence, or loss of other health coverage (e.g., loss of employer-based coverage, loss of eligibility for Medicare or Medicaid). Also, only plans sold through a Health Insurance Marketplace qualify for cost assistance.
Starting November 1, you can apply for health insurance coverage in a number of ways: online (through the federal Marketplace website, healthcare.gov), by phone, through an agent/broker, through certified enrollment partner websites, or with a paper application.
Changes to the Affordable Care Act for 2021
There are several policy changes related to the pandemic that may affect enrollment and the cost of insurance, including:
Prepared by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2020