Poor Jessica Sanford, she is a single mom from Washington State who was one of the first enrollees of Obamacare. Based on her income and # of households, she was told she could have an insurance policy for her and her son for as little as $169 month. Prior to Obamacare, the quotes ranged from $500-$600 per month.
Ms Sanford had been without health insurance for 15 years, and as she gets older, the body begins to wear out, and her son, being on prescription medication, one can understand how excited she was about Obamacare. She immediately sent an email to Prez. Obama, who read it during a White House ceremony, touting the success of Obamacare.
Later, Ms. Sanford received a letter stating there was a slight error in the subsidy calculation. At this point, she is getting the big goose egg, nada, nil, in help. When she input her annual salary of $50K, The Exchange calculated her income at $4166 per year, a small programming error.
I can understand the let down she must be feeling, almost a betrayal. At this point, Ms. Sanford says she is likely to roll the dice, pay the fine, b/c she can’t afford to pay full freight, or even a large portion of the premiums, plus high copays and deductibles.
As I wrote before, the way this law was written, it is a dagger right at the heart of the middle-class, like Ms. Sanford. Why is she being punished and expected to subsidize anyone, on her salary of $50K, when she can barely take care of herself and her son? And for Ms. Sanford to have to pay a fine, or a tax, b/c she doesn’t want to live in abject poverty by paying the $500-$600 a month in h/c premiums, is outrageous, is scandalous, and should be unconstitutional.
With Obama on The Apology Tour and asking insurance companies to reinstate cancelled plans, by doing so, this could drive up the risk pool next year, thus raising premiums on everyone else. Why would Obama do this? He wants me to pay even higher premiums b/c he (ahem) misled the public by promising people they would be allowed to keep their health insurance if they want to. Obama made a reckless proposal last week and ought to be called out on it.
There is a silver lining, I suppose. The more Obamacare is implemented, the higher the probability of Sen. Ted Cruz will be our next POTUS. After all, Cruz did predict what would happen during the shutdown, brave people like him should be rewarded.
http://washingtonstatewire.com/blog/rude-awakening-for-federal-way-woman-who-got-shout-out-from-president-cant-afford-obamacare-policy-after-all/
JimC says
I commenteth not.
danfromwaltham says
Thanks for the read though.
jconway says
FUCKIN’ PISSAH MAN! TELL EM HOWIE SENT YA! SEE YA AT DA KOWLOON!
danfromwaltham says
Those are the type of talk shows I enjoyed. They made you “think” JC.
SomervilleTom says
Please … let Mr. Brudnoy rest in peace.
doney says
people like DFW spend countless hours ridiculing Obamacare… they find specific, real life examples of people getting screwed, the practically amke up stats and figures and go as far as to say this will ruin our democracy…
where is this force on the left? WHy haven’t I heard countless stories of individuals who have benefitted greatly from Obamacare… I read a lot of sources and a lot of “lefty” sources but still in my pro-obamacare arguments with friends I don’t have easy talking point examples to draw on, nothing
it seems like Democrats are just counting on the public to see through their BS but I really don’t think that is happening… I just don’t get how you pass a bill insuring millions of people, where obviously there have to be benefactors, and there’s virtually no positive press about the law… like how bout a story about a cancer patient whos life was saved b/c they cant be denied coverage, I know that would be “cheap points” but points are points
its even exemplified here, DFW has posted a bunch of anti-obamacare stories… but everytime either people just laugh at DFW of they just ignore him… I know this is a liberal blog so most of us already support the ACA but it would be nice to see some counter punches
JimC says
On one hand, it’s a problem, and our party will pay for more of it.
On the other hand, the GOP will not be rewarded just for saying “We told you so.” They need an alternative.
So is it a problem for “the left?” Not really. We hated Obamacare before everybody.
petr says
According to the BLS the annual mean wage in Washington state is $51K. Ms Sanford is not poor. She’s well able to afford decent coverage. If she’s been without it for 15 years, it’s probably because the insurance companies denied her for some specific reason. Bastards.
If she doesn’t qualify for the subsidies then she doesn’t qualify. This has nothing to do with a clerical error.
danfromwaltham says
Anyone else agree with Petr, that Ms. Sanford is rich enuff to afford to pay full freight on health insurance? $50K salary with a young teen, in Washington State, should be subsidizing those who make less, or worse, the takers in our society, able-bodied people who choose not to work.
There is nothing in the articles that suggests she was denied coverage due to pre-existing condition.
jconway says
Since those people don’t exist let’s talk about factual ones please.
scout says
Little known fact. Thanks, moochers!
bob-gardner says
If the private insurance market fails these people, let them sign onto Medicare, or maybe make let them sign into the VA system. Everyone should qualify for either Medicaid, Medicare, or VA health care.
I agree with Dan that the private insurance industry is a wasteful disaster, though I don’t go as far as he does in implying that the whole private insurance system be dismantled.
But at least give everyone an option, private or public.
I look forward to more posts from Dan on why capitalism is doomed.
Christopher says
I finally got around to enrolling in MassHealth this year. First they said they needed copies of paystubs, which I obliged. This week I got a notice that they can’t enroll me because I didn’t send the requested documents even though I did. This does not make MassHealth a bad program.