<prompt> Human: Hi all - so my yearly income is 93 of the poverty line. Supposedly Im eligible for Medicaid, but went though the application process and was denied. I have no idea why.Looked at the plans I can get through Obamacare on Healthcare.gov, and it says the cheapest plan I can get is 250 a month. My expenses:Rent: 450Transportation: 150 monthFood: 200 monthstudent loan payment: 200 monthI dont buy clothes, I dont buy entertainment. How the fk am I supposed to pay 250 a month for health insurance? I dont understand. I realize I may be able to qualify to have the penalty waived. Does anyone have any experience with this? I feel like that puts me in a crappy situation with no insurance. Last year Im a female I had to get a bunch of tests done to make sure I didnt have cervical cancer, and I didnt, but without insurance wouldnt that have cost me thousands?Or do I have to just suck it up and pay for this and work extra or something because thats the shitty reality of America I was sheltered from being on my dads insurance?Any advice would be appreciated.  <response>: If you live in a state that expanded Medicaid you should inquire further about why you are not eligible -- that sounds like a mistake unless you are a recent immigrant. What state are you in?If you live in a state that didnt expand Medicaid, you would have to project that your income for 2017 will be over 11880. Is there any way this is plausible as a prediction for 2017, counting your wages and any income you could get from self employment side gigs, like baby sitting, yard work, tutoring, etc? If so then you could be eligible for an ACA marketplace plan with tax subsidies that would mean your premiums cost around 2 of your income, because tax credits help pay the premiums. A Silver plan would perhaps be best choice if your income is between 100 and 200 of 11880. That would be a bit over 20month if you are near the 100 end of that range.Your error may have been using 11K as your income in a state that does not automatically give you Medicaid at that income level. You probably missed the deadline to get ACA plan coverage starting in Jan but would still be able to apply to get coverage starting in February, if you can project an income of 12K, for example. Act now, because open enrollment ends in January. I think also that turning 26 gives you a window to enroll, if that is happening later in 2017. 