In Her Words: Obamacare’s Negative Impact on Women
This week, Republicans will continue to speak up for women who have been hurt by the President’s healthcare law. Republicans will share real life stories from women across America who have said that the law has increased their costs, made it harder for them to see their doctors, and decreased their paychecks. Here’s what women are saying in their own words about their experiences:
Rising Costs
"I can't afford that," she said. "There's no way on Earth."
"If we could afford it, do you think we'd be standing out here?" she said, nodding at a half-dozen others in line on the sidewalk, waiting for the free clinic to hold one of its twice-a-week sessions.
-- Reinna Waseskuk of Iowa on higher premiums
Source: Des Moines Register, May 19, 2014
“There's nothing affordable about that,"
"Knock on wood, we haven't needed it much,"
-- Sue Ault of Iowa on higher deductibles
Source: Des Moines Register, May 19, 2014
"We pay $998.70 for two people," said Amanda.
"From the whole beginning when they introduced the Affordable Care Act, they said if they didn't get enough young people, there was a good possibility it was going to go up," said Amanda.
--Amanda LaRoque of North Carolina on higher premiums
Source: ABC 11, May 9, 2014
"She listens to me," said Montalvo, a U.S. citizen who was born in Mexico, said in Spanish. "I come here feeling really bad, and three days later I am better."
-- Irma Montalvo of California on seeking care in Mexico because it’s cheaper than using her Covered California plan in the US
Source: USA Today/Kaiser Health News, May 7, 2014
"To be honest, I like to come here better even if I have insurance," she said. "Over there it's wasting money and wasting time."
"It's a long drive … but for me, it's worth it,"
-- Lorena Villanueva of California on seeking care in Mexico because it’s cheaper than using her Covered California plan in the US
Source: USA Today/Kaiser Health News, May 7, 2014
“My husband asked the agent about our plan’s alleged shortcomings. First up was its lack of maternity care. As a 56 year old woman who has had a hysterectomy, that’s not something I need or want to pay for. Ditto for Obamacare’s mandatory birth control coverage.”
“The best plan we could find on the exchange is almost as bad. This one increases our monthly premiums by 50 percent to $600 a month, raises our deductible to $8,000, and adds a $12,700 out of pocket maximum. We don’t qualify for subsidies; it could cost as much as $20,000 a year.”
-- Wanda Buckley of Arkansas on Obamacare cost and coverage requirements
Source: Forbes Opinion, April 30, 2014
“I was very hopeful" when the Affordable Care Act passed, she said. "I thought, 'Wow! I can have a job that I love that doesn’t’ necessarily have insurance but I get insurance affordably.'"
"I found that the premiums were still very high, and I just couldn’t afford them," says Engel.
"Maybe I’m reading these incorrectly," she said, "but it just didn’t make sense, and I thought I’m not going to put money I don’t really have to spend into a program that I don’t really understand."
--Beth Engel of California on opting out of Obamacare
Source: Kaiser Health News, April 25, 2014
“Conceptually, I believe in Obamacare, and I truly believe that everyone should have insurance. But I’m feeling really squeezed,” Dance said. “In a sense it’s worse because now we’re forced into having insurance; we don’t qualify for any subsidies but our premiums have gone up again.”
“I seldom go to doctors because I don’t feel the need to and, even though my premiums are high, and just went up to over $600 a month, my deductible is also high, so I figure most things will clear up on their own. If not, then I’ll go. I had to pay my $10,000 emergency bill out-of-pocket because I had not met my deductible because it’s so high, so I’m paying $167 a month for four years. My daughter is on her own policy, but under me, and her premium just went up by 24 percent too. So between the two of us I’m paying close to $900 a month. Which, of course, means I have no savings, no retirement, no vacations. But I do have health insurance.”
--Andrea Dance of California on Obamacare costs
Source: The Potero View, April 2014
“Why didn’t we just file for bankruptcy?” she said she asks her husband. “We’d be able to afford the premium if we weren’t paying off this recession debt.”
--Anne Cornwell of North Carolina on being unable to afford unsubsidized premiums
Source: Lake Wylie Pilot, March 29, 2014
“It shocked me for a minute,” Hackney said. “ ‘You’re telling me if I want insurance I have to pay the full price?’ ”
“I’ve never worked this hard in my life,” Hackney said. “But I’m gonna continue working every day and keep hitting the books at night. I’m just trying to keep my head above water.”
-- Wykina Hackney of North Carolina on being unable to afford unsubsidized premiums
Source: Lake Wylie Pilot, March 29, 2014
“I was excited that I might have insurance for the first time in 20 years,” DeMarsico said. “But it didn’t help me.”
-- Tina DeMarsico of North Carolina on being unable to afford unsubsidized premiums
Source: Lake Wylie Pilot, March 29, 2014
"There is nothing affordable in this act," said Kaser, who — with her husband — is paying about $1,400 a month for coverage.
"It means we're not able to put as much into retirement as we like," she said. "We had thought we'd take a trip in April, and we've canceled it because of looking at the budget."
"I just had my eye doctor tell me, 'Well, maybe we can hold off on the cataract surgery until you're on Medicare,' " Kaser said.
--Linda Kaser of Indiana on higher costs
Source: Indianapolis Star, March 25, 2014
"When we're not paying anything now, anything is a significant jump," said Hardin, who owns a hair salon and makes too much to qualify for a subsidy. "Paying anything monthly is a lot."
"They would have young people paying more for insurance and people don't want to pay into the system," she said. "They're not going to want to do that."
The penalty "would have to be pretty significant," she said. "Most of my network connections and friends or colleagues pretty much feel the same way."
--Sarah Hardin of Colorado on Obamacare costs
Source: Denver Post, February 21. 2014
"My eyes are popping," Bien said "I'm very upset. This is ridiculous. I've been able to afford health insurance and now I can't. It's supposed to be the Affordable Care Act."
--Ossina Bien of Oregon on costs
Source: KATU/Portland Business Journal, November 8, 2013
Lost Doctors and Narrow Networks
“It’s been a nightmare”
“I was happy with where I was at”
-- Angela Allen of Tennessee on narrow networks
Source: The Atlantic/Kaiser Health News, July 8, 2014
“It is what it is, but I would have preferred to have stayed with the same doctor,” she said.
-- Charquette Forte of Tennessee on narrow networks/ losing old plan
Source: The Atlantic/Kaiser Health News, July 8, 2014
“We never did actually find one, and after all the back and forth and all the time, we just kind of gave up,” she said. “Our kids are pretty healthy, but I can’t imagine if they were in serious need.” -- Theresa Rivera of California on doctor shortage
Source: California Health Report, June 29, 2014
"I thought I had done everything right, and it's been awful"
– Jean Buchanan of California on getting an $8,000 bill for cancer treatment after receiving conflicting information on whether it was covered
Source: LA Times, June 28, 2014
"Some would just come right out and say, 'We don't take Obamacare,' " she says.
"Or the best one was, 'The doctor takes it here at the actual practice, but whatever hospital you use ... does not take that insurance.' "
"It was mind numbing," she says, "because I was just sitting there thinking, 'I'm paying close to $400 a month just for me to have insurance that doesn't even work. So what am I paying for?' "
-- Rachel Robinson of Texas on being unable to find an obstetrician that accepted her insurance
Source: NPR/Kaiser Health News. May 27, 2014
“I do not want to give up my doctor. And that’s plural: doctors. Every doctor I see is affiliated with Frisbie,” says McCarthy.
“Absolutely, I feel like I was the voice for all the people that sort of got left out of this network,” says McCarthy.
--Margaret McCarthy of New Hampshire on narrow networks
Source: New Hampshire Public Radio, May 14, 2014
“Yeah, I sign it. I got it. But where’s my doctor? Who’s my doctor? I don’t know,” said a frustrated Ong.
--Thinn Ong of California on access to doctors
Source: CBS San Francisco, April 18, 2014
“Now I have to drive 50 miles for blood work when there’s a hospital three miles from my house,” said Petro, who finds wintertime driving perilous, given that it is difficult to reach even her mailbox because of the sheet of ice coating her driveway. “It’s going to be harder to get there and get this done.”
--Nancy Petro of New Hampshire on losing access to her local hospital
Source: Boston Globe, January 20, 2014
Reduced Hours and Smaller Paychecks
“I already work two jobs, so that means I’ll have to get a third job in order to suffice for the hours I’ll end up losing here,” said Mananna Terrell, 26-year-old lifeguard who works part-time at the Aquatic Center. “It’s an inconvenience, but I guess you have to do what you have to do.”
--Mananna Terrell of Georgia on having hours cut due to Obamacare
Source: Savannah Morning News, April 28, 2014
Banjo says that was disheartening, "Cause I need the money, need to work, I'm willing and able to work and now they're telling me I can only work for so long."
"It's very difficult. If I didn't have my parents, I would be in trouble. A lot of trouble."
--Jordan Banjo of North Carolina on having her hours cut
Source: WITC-NBC, March 25, 2014
Small Business Owners
“I think you just want the best for your employees. We are a small business and it’s very much like a family, so I care about our staff,” Vittorio told WCNC.
“It’s a tough conversation to have. It’s a tough decision to make and think about it. You’re not just basing the decision on finances when there are people and their families involved,” she said.
--Julia Vittorio of North Carolina on rising costs to insure her hair salon employees
Source: WCNC via Washington Free Beacon, June 4, 2014
"We just had to shift the cost of employees dependents to the employee it was really tragic, it was enraging in fact as employers who care about our employees,"
"I just can't penalize my employees if I were to drop them from my plan, and I can't figure out where am I going to get the money, it's frightening, what happens next year," Peters.
--Linda Peters of Alaska on rising costs to insure employees at her small business
Source: ABC Alaska, June 2, 2014
Technical and Paperwork Errors
“Premera said we didn’t have coverage because they hadn’t received a payment since February,” Rancourt said. “We’ve been getting bills and we’ve been paying them. Somebody has been cashing the checks.”
--Christina Rancourt of Washington state paid premiums for her family but did not receive coverage
Source: Seattle Times, June 1, 2014
“I took my daughter to the dentist and when we got there, they told me we didn’t have coverage,” said Tamara.
“I was very concerned we were going to end up without healthcare,” she said.
-- Tamara Gruber of Rhode Island on a glitch that left her without coverage even though she paid her premium
Source: WPRI, May 12, 2014
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