Under the health tax credit program, 65 percent of insurance premiums will be paid. Locally, 1,300 people qualify.
By KRIS HUNDLEY
Published October 2, 2003
Workers whose jobs have been moved offshore may be eligible for help paying their health insurance premiums.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida offers coverage to individuals who qualify for the federal Health Coverage Tax Credit. This program, passed a year ago, pays 65 percent of monthly insurance premiums for people who lose their jobs due to international trade. The program went into effect in August.
In the Tampa Bay area, there are more than 1,300 people who qualify for the tax credit, including former employees of Telephone Services Inc. in Riverview as well as Jabil Circuit and Essilor of America, both in St. Petersburg.
Also eligible are people who receive benefits from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. and are at least 55 years old. This fund provides pensions for individuals under the age of 65 whose companies have gone out of business. This group accounts for most of the people eligible to receive help under the Health Coverage Tax Credit.
More than 14,000 people in Florida will qualify for the credit, according to the state Department of Financial Services. There will be about 260,000 eligible nationwide. Eligible individuals should be receiving application information in the mail and informational meetings will be scheduled locally during the week of Oct. 20.
Blue Cross of Jacksonville is the only insurer offering a state-qualified plan under the Health Coverage Tax Credit. Qualified applicants will have the option of two BlueChoice PPO plans, one with a $500 deductible and the other with a $1,500 deductible.
Monthly premiums range according to the plan, as well as the member's age, sex and county. For example, a 55-year-old male in Hillsborough County who opts for the PPO with the $500 deductible would have a total premium of $492 per month. There is no limit on the amount of premium allowed.
Under the federal program, a qualified individual would send the government a copy of the premium invoice each month, along with a check for 35 percent of the total. The government would then pay Blue Cross the full amount.
Eligible individuals can pay the entire amount directly and claim the allowed credit on their income tax returns.
Mary Terbrueggen, manager of group insurance products at Blue Cross, said if individuals have been uninsured and apply for Blues' coverage, there may be a one-year restriction for coverage of certain pre-existing medical conditions. If there has been no lapse in coverage, there are no restrictions on pre-existing conditions, she said.
Coverage can include both spouses and dependents.
Individuals also may be eligible to receive the federal subsidy if they have COBRA coverage through their former employer. A working spouse's health insurance may also be subsidized if the employer pays less than 50 percent of the premium cost.
