Supporters of ObamaCare have recently been touting the news that the law has helped to push America's uninsured rate to an all-time low of 8.6 percent. Since the law legally requires every American citizen to purchase health insurance, lest they face a significant fine from the IRS, it's not clear exactly how great an accomplishment this really is, especially considering the enormous spikes in insurance premiums we're seeing across the country. You really shouldn't get to celebrate the results of what you've forced people to do.
But there's a more important point here: having insurance doesn't guarantee that you'll have access to care. That's what Pennsylvania resident Paul Vondra found out:
Paul Vondra is just the sort of person the architects of Obamacare had in mind.
The 59-year-old Bellevue resident is a temporary worker contracted through a New Jersey agency to work as a mail clerk for a major local bank. He doesn’t own a car, so he bikes each day to his job in the Strip District.
His agency has offered him a choice of two Affordable Care Act-qualified plans. But Mr. Vondra, who makes less than $25,000 annually and has no dependents, said the cheapest plan carries a monthly premium of $165, or $800 a year, and a yearly deductible of $2,500.
Also, the plan’s co-insurance — the amount he would be responsible for after he has met his deductible — is $4,500, while out-of-pocket hospital costs are capped at $10,000.
“It might as well be $10 million,” he said.
He’s not alone. Officials at local health centers and clinics say they’re seeing more people like Mr. Vondra whose access to insurance has not translated into access to care.
This is ObamaCare: expensive insurance that doesn't even guarantee you can afford your health care costs. This is why there's no fixing this disastrous law. We need to fully and completely repeal it, and replace it with market-based health care reforms that make sure people can actually afford to access the health care services they need.
At BrokenObamaCarePromises.com, we've been collecting stories of the true human cost of ObamaCare. If ObamaCare has caused your insurance premiums to spike, or caused your policy to be cancelled, we want to hear from you. Share your story by emailing us at [email protected]. Pictures and/or video testimonials are encouraged.