As the nation celebrates 5 million enrollees in Obamacare, let me bring some real life anecdotes to the table.
Most of the people in my immediate circle, like me, work for employers who provide their health insurance. So I never really thought about the impact of the Affordable Care Act. But in the past several weeks I have heard first hand accounts about what the program has meant to real Americans.
A self employed individual with a pre-existing condition and some continuing health problems who was able to self insure but at relatively high premium rates and insanely high co-pays and deductibles. When he used healthcare.gov, discovered dozens of plans available to him and settled on a policy with his existing insurer…although the premiums were higher, the annual cost will be far more affordable since the co-pays, deductibles and prescription coverage is vastly superior to the old policy.
And educator who lost her job and her health care coverage. Unable to find employment decided to retire and collect social security but is still a few years away from Medicare eligibility. She found coverage that was similar to what her employer had offered but based on her retirement income she was eligible for premium support and again has affordable health care.
Another self employed individual who never earned enough to be able to purchase insurance on the open market also found insurance to be affordable with the federal subsidies based on his current income. He spent several tens of thousands of dollars last year to repair a broken ankle that cost him time missed from work as well as the cost of healing.
Another man whose family relied on his insurance through his employer but who had his hours cut back to part time (not due to Obamacare) and lost his employer provided health care. He was able to find affordable family coverage via healthcare.gov, but was disappointed that he still made too much money to qualify for help. Although far cheaper than Cobra it was more than his contribution to his employer’s program.
These are real people…I have met three out of the four…these are real stories…and I am sure the other 5 million enrollees are in similar situations.
Yes, These are real benefits now, Ed. But the best benefits will come within the American competitive capitalistic system when Insurance companies look to find institutions and procedures which afford the quickest recovery and most effective procedures and begin insisting on them to hold costs.
There’s no reason that medical procedures couldn’t advance as “Moore’s Law” in computing power. But that’s a war that will have to be fought at the ballot box. We will have to fight to keep corporate bribed legislation for curtailing the advance. #MoveToAmend
…from curtailing the advance. #MoveToAmend