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What happens to me if I live in a state that decides NOT to expand Medicaid?

Depending on your income level, you may be eligible for a new kind of tax credit to lower the cost of buying your own plan on the new Health Insurance Marketplaces (also known as Exchanges). If your income is between 100 and 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level – about $11,500 to $46,000 for an individual or $23,500 to $93,000 for a family of four – you may be eligible for tax credits to help lower the cost of buying a plan on the new Health Insurance Marketplace. The best way to determine how much you will pay each month is to fill out an application on your state’s Marketplace website.

If your income is below the 100 percent level, there will unfortunately not be tax credits available in states that chose not to expand Medicaid. If your income is under 133 percent of the poverty line (about $15,000 for an individual) and your state did not expand Medicaid, however, you will not be subject to the penalty for being uninsured. You may be able to receive care through Community Health Centers for little to no cost.