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EXPLANATORY JOURNALISM: The TerryReport
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News, commentary, opinion on politics, government, books, social trends, American life, travel, cycling, books, other stuff
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Below are two comments posted on the NY Times comments section (10.27.13) about the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, widely called Obamacare. It is important to note that while so much negative publicity is available about the beginning of new aspects of the law, there is another, much different side to the story. Which side predominates will only be known by have at least several years experience with how things play out in the real world.
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I have a pre-existing condition that, though I am in generally good health, has kept me from getting medical insurance at a reasonable rate. I have cobbled together health care by seeing a Nurse Practitioner at the local clinic, working with the accounting department at the local hospital to pay cash at the time of service for x-rays or lab work and by taking advantage of the local hospital's health fairs. I've been fortunate that I haven't been injured or really sick.
I am employed as an adjunct professor at two community colleges. While my employment is the equivalent of full time, I am considered a part time employee. My employment is contingent every semester on enrollment and budgets and I do not receive any benefits.
I signed up on October 1 for coverage through Anthem's Silver Level plan. My experience with the Covered California site was fine. I had looked at policy information, prior to October 1 and knew which plan I wanted to purchase. The website was slow, but I expected it on the first day. My monthly premium will be $342/mo, less than half of $700/mo premium before the ACA.
In 2001, I made the decision to return to school and I completed an undergraduate and graduate degree. I paid for medical benefits for as long as I could but my premiums kept increasing until they were nearly 15% of our gross monthly income and nearly as much as our mortgage.
I am incredibly grateful for the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
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NYT Pick
Ross, (the writer is addressing Times columnist Ross Douthat) what you and your ilk ignore is that for millions of us who work as independent contractors or for small businesses not in the position to provide health care benefits, we we will be able to get insurance at a price that does not break the bank. I worked for a company that ceased to exist, so even COBRA was not an option. My provider generously offered me a plan significantly inferior to the one I had through my defunct employer at three time the prices my employer had negotiated with them. Their quote would have been about a third of my new take home pay, with huge deductibles and a $12500 yearly out of pocket limit (which unless your income is on the 6 figures like yours probably is, is just plain not feasible).
Queue the ACA. I was one of the lucky ones able to get through on the site (I had to use the Federal site because my mostly blue state has been controlled by red since the 2010 census). The end result? A price about 85 PERCENT LOWER than the quote I received when I first became unemployed. That's for "bronze" but the coverage is still much better than the plan I could not afford. As a result, I will no longer be courting financial ruin should I develop a costly medical condition. Do you really begrudge me that?
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The message I take from these and many other comments about the ACA is that there are many people who are not fortunate enough to be in good health and to have a strong health plan where they work. Further, these comments are a reminder that we are not in life alone, rowing along in our little boat, but part of a big nation where people have to face what develops in their lives as best they can, often suffering “out of sight and out of mind” to the rest of us. Health care is just too expensive to be paid for “out of pocket”, except by the wealthy, along with other bills like rent/mortgage, car payments, food and other essentials. Until now, people who could not afford coverage at going rates were on their own. The attempt of the ACA is fairly simple, in conception: to pool those people into insurance programs, provided by private business, so that the cost can be shared among all using the insurance, reducing the impact of illness for those who require care.
Doug Terry, 10.27.13
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to go to recent posts, nearly 300 pages of news and comments filed during the first nine months of 2013 and during the critical election year of 2012.
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to go back to prior years (500+ pages) of The TerryReport
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