She couldn’t get covered because of a pre-existing condition. That’s all changed thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
Robin Wojta of Berkley, Mich., always had great health insurance through her husband’s work … until they got divorced about a year and a half ago. Their kids stayed on his plan, but Wojta had to fend for herself.
She couldn’t afford the COBRA plan offered through her husband’s coverage because the premium was $665 a month. So she got a six-month plan for $219 a month. But when she went to renew it for a full year, she was denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, an eye problem that has yet to be properly diagnosed and treated.
By that time, Wojta had lost her job and had no way to pay for health insurance. So when the Affordable Care Act started rolling out, she was eager to enroll.
I’ve always been in favor of a national healthcare plan. I’m one of the millions of Americans who have no health insurance, so I was excited to sign up.
Wojta admits she was frustrated with the glitches she faced at Healthcare.gov in October and most of November. But in late November, she decided to start over with a new application and she breezed right through.
As a low-income individual, Wojta qualified for subsidies. She found a silver plan with a monthly premium of $483 — but with the subsidies she’ll pay only $123 a month. She gets to keep all the doctors she sees for her eye condition.
Wojta’s deductible is $500, and her plan will cover 70 percent of her medical costs each year. Her prescriptions cost just $4 each, a big savings compared to the $89 per bottle she’d been paying without insurance for the eye drops she needs.
“I couldn’t afford them sometimes and I’d suffer,” she says.
Once her coverage kicks in, she can see a new eye disease specialist who may be able to properly diagnose and treat her condition, which makes her eyes constantly water. Plus, she can stop worrying about what might happen if she were ever to get seriously ill or injured.
I kept thinking, ‘If anything happens, it better happen in a car because the only coverage I have is auto insurance.’ But now I have health insurance and can hopefully get some relief for my eye problem.I wish people would stop bashing Obamacare and give it a chance. You can’t rely on hearsay — you have to try it for yourself. I had a good experience and hope other people will, too.
To get covered by January 1, 2014, you have to enroll in coverage and make your first payment by December 23. But you can still enroll through March 15, 2014 for coverage and avoid any penalty for not having insurance. Visit Healthcare.gov to get started.
[CC image credit: Will O’Neill | Flickr.]
