I wanted to share my story since so many people were affected by what just happened to myself and my coworkers yesterday. I was hired in as a full-time non-career employee. This meant that I had the ability to work 40 hours a week while learning about working for the State Of Michigan while I finished my degree and eventually be converted to a with benefit employee by the time my degree is complete. I have worked 40 hours all year long, barely missing a day and always completing jobs assigned on a timely basis. I had received many comments of praise on my work.

Yesterday, we got an email from our boss that stated that all the non-career employees would get their hours cut. This meant that instead of being able to work 40 hours, I would have to work 30 hours or 130 hours a month. This meant that I would loose enough pay that paying out-of-pocket for my classes would be very difficult.

I am married with 2 kids and this situation is really bad. It is bad enough that I have been forced to live with my in-laws to be able to provide a good home and good schools to my children. This pay cut pushed the possibility of saving up and moving out, totally out the window.

I was for the healthcare reform, but not in this way. I felt that we should push the insurance companies aside and make a single-payer system like the rest of the country. Instead we got a horrible piece of legislation that really only benefits the insurance companies. I am highly disappointed that I am unable to work so many hours because a federal law says so and my employer cannot provide me the benefits that are deserved.

I hope this is fixed in the future. I don’t think this country is going in the right direction. We need to real reform that doesn’t line someone’s pockets.

Thank you.

March 1, 2015
A new health insurance policy with Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC (BCBSNC), subsidized by Healthcare.gov begins. The subsidized rate is $257.83. This replaces my policy with BCBSNC that, on Jan 1, increased from $295 to $405 due to me turning 50.

April 23, 2015
I called the Marketplace 800# (Healthcare.gov) to correct my mailing address. They did not have the suite#. However, the street name and number as well as the city, state and zip code were correct.

May 18, 2015
I receive a new health insurance card and info from BCBSNC in the mail. The subscriber number is the same, but the group id and the account number have changed. It says I have an increased rate of $495.83 a month (effective as of April 23, 2015). An additional amount of $132.22 was added (prorate from April 23 – 30). Invoice total was $628.05.

May 20, 2015
I call the Marketplace 800#. I was told that because correcting a mailing address is considered a ‘life change’ by Healthcare.gov my subsidy was automatically cancelled and I was given a new policy, without any subsidy, and with higher deductibles across the board. I am told by the first representative that she is aware of this ‘life change’ problem and internally the other reps are upset about it as it happens all the time.

My call is escalated to a supervisor who matter-of-factly says that I should have known that a mailing address correction would cancel my policy. She directs me to the ‘appeals form’ on the Healthcare.gov website and says it would likely take 3 months to be looked at. She said that if I don’t pay the current higher premium of $495.83/month from BCBSNC, I cannot reapply for insurance through Healthcare.gov until the following year.

• I was originally never told that correcting the mailing address over the phone would automatically cancel my subsidy.

• My new rate of $495.83/month is $90/month HIGHER than my old policy that was replaced by the Healthcare.gov policy on March 1st. And my deductibles are higher and my benefits worse.

May 21, 2015
I mail in the appeals form and all required paperwork to the address in London, KY. I subsequently was told to pay the $628.05 to keep my changed policy in effect.

May 23, 2015
I went online at BCBSNC.com to register the new policy but it would not accept it even though they already sent me a bill and the insurance cards with the updated subscriber number and group number. I went to the pharmacy to get prescriptions drugs refilled. They said the policy is in the system but not ‘activated’ by BCBSNC yet. They told me to call BCBSNC. It is the Memorial Weekend and nobody in that department of BCBSNC would answer the phone.

May 26, 2015 (Tuesday, day after Memorial Day)
I called BCBSNC and they said ‘registration’ of this newest policy – aka: getting it into the system – would take about 10 days and that I could not pay the premium due, $628.05, until it was complete. The rep said she would escalate it but it would likely take another 5 business day. I was told to pay the cash price for the drugs and I would be reimbursed later. So now the premium invoice states that the policy will be canceled if not paid by May 31st and the good people at BCBSNC of NC say I can’t pay the premium until it is completely ‘in the system’ which may not happen until AFTER May 31st.

May 27, 2015
Tried repeatedly to contact BCBSNC via phone. It kept saying they were having technical errors and it would auto end the call. This happened ALL day.

May 28, 2015
Called BCBSNC and waited 22 minutes for a rep. She said the “first” system was telling her that my new policy was terminated by HealthCare.gov and to call them. After additional questioning by me she asked her supervisor and they looked into a “second” system – which told them that the policy WASN’T canceled but was still not fully built into the system. She said that even though my issue was already ‘escalated’ it would actually take about 10 business days to fix. I was instructed to mail in a check for my premium payment and it would be applied when the policy was fully active in the system. I was also told to pay cash for my drug prescriptions, which now are a week into not being filled, and I would be reimbursed. Lastly, she said she would call me on June 4th to update me on the status.

We could not afford this insurance but due to the law We were forced to get coverage. This year We are told it will double. We can’t make more income , I am disabled and My Wife makes less than than enough to keep us going I explained this to the representative and still were told either cancel or pay twice the amount. We paid last year. They say We will make so much in 2015. How do they know this? We are getting less than Last year and We have to pay twice as much this year.

I ask for help and We don’t qualify for exempt status We have been given a week to ten days to make a decision. This is coverage only for My wife one person. It not a fair law, We are told what to take I have lost My doctor and We can’t afford Doctor visits so UI can get. My pain Medication coast 125.00 per visit and coast of meds. We did not miss a payment and now were told don’t pay until we accept the new policy. What can we do? please Help. We don’t want this we are forced to take it. no freedom of choice no rights to pick what We can possibly afford what can We do ?

A few weeks ago my daughter’s dentist told us the enivitable had come about. Rachel’s wisdom teeth were erupting and beginning to crowd her teeth. They had to come out. They gave us a referral to an oral surgeon and told us to do it sooner than later.

I knew the procedure is not cheap, but I also knew that under the ACA, dental is covered for children. I checked our regular dental coverage and noted that we only get cleanings covered, so I checked my daughter’s healthcare to see what was covered for dental. Carefirst’s website showed that oral surgery is covered under her Healthy Blue plan.

I called to check on the exact coverage. The first guy didn’t know what he was talking about and said there was no dental. I knew that was not true. I called again a few days later and was told exactly what I thought, Rachel would be covered! The plan paid 80% after a $25 deductible. Meanwhile, however, the oral surgeon called and was told no coverage. We were told we would have to pay 2800 out of pocket.

I knew this was not accurate and called carefirst a third time. They had not checked the box for coverage. I guess they forgot the law. Rachel has dental coverage on her healthcare plan until the end of the year when she turns 19. We will NOT be paying 2800 for her wisdom teeth.

This site is full of facts about ObamaCare. Facts based upon the theory of what ObamaCare would bring. I doubt that this will be published, but I am a REAL ObamaCare user. I received a significant benefit in subsidies by using the marketplace. Due to significant health problems and lack of income I pay a fraction of what I used to pay for healthcare. However, I support repeal of the law. Why?

As of April 30th, 2015 an untold number of marketplace users lost their subsidies without notice or explanation. I was one of them. I submitted the required documentation regarding my income. But according to the marketplace management, my documents were declined and then deleted from the website (leaving me no evidence of having submitted them). Without my knowledge, they contacted my healthcare insurance carrier and changed my policy. I now have a $7,000 deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. My premiums are over $800 per month. I’ve talked with numerous managers at the marketplace and received no explanation. I can only conclude that this is how the administration plans to make the law seem financially viable.

I am currently on an injectible medication monthly with a cost of over $2,500 per injection. I told the marketplace management that I could not afford to keep taking these injections without the subsidies. The manager admitted that “many consumers are in the same situation”. I asked her, what if this was chemotherapy? Her response was that she was sorry, but there was nothing else I could do and no one else I could speak with.

I’ve done nothing wrong. And without explanation or notification, my Federal Government has gone behind my back and cost me thousands of dollars in collaboration with my insurance carrier and force me to cancel my medical treatments. Affordable Care Act???? REPEAL OBAMACARE! OBAMA DOESN’T CARE.

My story is simple. I was retired at 62, applied for healthcare, received a reduced premium and a waivered amount for coverage due to my income. I decided that social security was not enough income, so I planned to go back to work. I cancelled my coverage when I accepted a job. 30 days later, my healthcare benefits from my job started. There was no overlap in Obamacare coverage and my new coverage. I was shocked when I did my taxes to find out that I was penalized $600.00 for 3 months of coverage for Obamacare – which I NEVER USED! The end result is that 3 months of coverage ended up costing me $1500.00 because I opted to be covered by my job. I feel this was unfair, since I was covered during my period of retirement, but was penalized for getting a job, getting better coverage on my job, AFTER I cancelled my Obamacare coverage!

Have had lump in right breast since 2012. Had real insurance then and a mammogram and ultrasound and was told some cells didn’t look right, come back in 6 months. In 6 mos my Cobra insurance had ended. I was uninsured for the next 2 1/2 years.

Scored Obama Care Ins. In March 2015. Was excited because the insurance co is the the same I had when married. My Neurologist still treats me the same. The drug coverage is a relief.

However, when going back to my old Gynecologist, who is on the list, I had been a patient there from 1994 to 2009. I wasn’t welcomed with open arms on Obama care.

I was asked to bring the records back to my Former Gyno office from the 2012 Abnormal Mammogram at the other facility. I took a day off to retrieve them and drive 35 miles to pick them up. I arrived at my appointment with them. Instead of seeing my Dr they set me up with his PA, who I had never seen before. They were pleasant enough, but things weren’t the same. The PA reviewed the CD and didn’t really examine my breast. She said she didn’t need to, she had seen it on the CD and it needed to be taken care of. Then she proceeded to talk to me about my insurance being Obama Care and that any Oncologist owned by Northside Hospital would treat me and that went for any Dr owned by Northside. I did appreciate that information. I was told they would scan the written info that came with my file and they kept the CDs. I was then sent down to the office that set up surgeries and procedures.

That lady made it sound urgent, but I couldn’t do it the next week because of my daughters appointment so I scheduled for 2 weeks out.

I arrived at the breast center at 12:50. I was supposed to be there at 1:00pm fir a 1:30 procedure. All was going smoothly. I got called back. The lady asked me if I wore deodorant, I told her I did but she didn’t give me a wipe. So I got my own. Others were brought back and were quickly taken back.

Waited…finally they came to get me, they had no record of the CD or any news of it from the Drs office. When the Dr office looked for it they claimed they couldnt find it. So, during this time I was made to sit in that wsiting room again. About 2:20 I decided at 3:00 I was getting dressed and keaving. Soin after that they came and got me. Still no CD.

They did a regular mammogram. Set me back in the same waiting room. I think this tech felt sorry for me , she gave me a warm blanket. Then a little later they cme back and did more mammo in my right breast, which I expected. Waited again. Then they came and got me for Ultrasound. Then the Dr came in to tell me there is nothing there, although, I still have a lump and my breast hurts worse than ever. I can’t help but wonder if I was somehow team railroaded here so as not get the care I need. I don’t know where to turn or who to trust. That was a Gyno that had done 7 surgeries in me and delivered my youngest infertility baby. I am bewildered by this Obama Care.

I had another horrible experience with an Urgent Care clinic in April.

Two years prior to the start of the Affordable Care Act, my health insurance premiums were raised by 40% each year for no reason, 20% each year. I was told by the insurance representative that it had nothing to do with my personal policy but instead that the industry was readying itself for the approaching ACA. My deductible also increased from 1000 to 5000 and finally to 10,000 dollars. My husband, who works part-time and will be 60 this year, is unable to afford insurance. So the first year, he paid the penalty, which was much less than $6000.00 a year. This year, he has signed on with a Christian Co-op feeling he would rather give his money to people like himself who struggle to make ends meet and can’t afford insurance, knowing he is helping others this way than to the government. I feel this is a TAX burden added to the middle class. And it’s taxation without representation. When will we wake up and see this isn’t working. I’m guessing you won’t publish this because it doesn’t support your agenda but one can only hope that those of us whom this law has hurt will be heard.

I am 50 years old and have never had health insurance, I always pay out of pocket in FULL for every doctors visit, every ER visit and have always had a reserve of $25,000 dollars saved up through small monthly contributions to draw on in case of emergencies. This is how I figured all American’s should be, responsible. It is NOBODY else’s job to provide you with anything…It took me over 20 years to get this little healthcare only nest egg setup. I have ALWAYS paid my medical bills off, never once have I not.

I make well over the federal poverty level, thus I qualify for NO government help at all. I am a self employed truck driver, running my own small business.

I pay a lot in taxes as it is, including things such as both sides of the social security tax. All the businesses expenses are a lot too, and depending on business needs my income can fluxuate. If the truck needs a lot of work one month it could lower my income for that year a lot while I’m not driving and its in the shop, sometimes it can happen multiple times a year. Add to the mix that its usually thousands of dollars for the work too each time. I’ve had years where I bring home a 100k and years where I bring home far more than that. It isn’t like a steady job where your income stays the same.

It also depends on the loads available at the time. Sometimes loads pay a lot and sometimes you barely break even and sometimes you even lose money on one. If you wait around for a good load you might be waiting for awhile making nothing. Anyone who knows the trucking business knows sometimes you have to move to another location to get a better load and you might not make anything getting there.

I looked into getting health insurance that I don’t really need and the cheapest plan I could get with a high deductible is $900 dollars a month. I signed up for it to avoid paying the increased taxes that the ACA includes.

Problem is now, it is draining my healthcare savings reserve. I’m using it faster than I was contributing to it before. I had hoped it would be cheaper. Even though I make a lot of money I am also heavily in debt from an ex wife, alimony. Divorce is an expensive business, also business expenses still being paid off. Basically lots and lots of loans, so while my income makes people unsympathetic because they think if I made that much I’d have no problems, do keep in mind my debts match my income as it is and I was able to keep a float hoping that in 5 years things would be better as debt got paid off. If you think 100,000+ per year is a lot of money imagine having a debt load quite a bit higher than that.

Lots of people have been in situations where adding even one my bill would break the camels back for a few years while things got paid off, but imagine being in that situation and now you have to add a whole new bill that the government REQUIRES. I could not have gotten a loan for another 900 a month but here I am basically having a forced loan/payment that I never would have been able to qualify for.

Being required to suddenly spend $900 dollars extra a month I do not have doesn’t miraculous make me suddenly have it. I have started the bankruptcy process because I can no longer pay all my debts after adding this new one.

Ironically I’ll likely lose my truck, my business and my income…within a year or two I’ll likely be a zero income person getting free healthcare. I have been self employed my whole life and wouldn’t know how to work for someone anyways. It is why I started my business in the first place. I do admit that I cannot work for anyone else, because soon as a boss says or does something stupid I tell them off. Although that really has nothing to do with the situation just explaining WHY I went off on my own to due my own thing. Now I do believe I’ve spent too many years self employed I’ll never be able to work for anyone again.

What am I to do? Bankrupcy just doesn’t let me file it on one loan/debt to reduce my debt load to offset the ACA. It has to go for all debts, all loans and all assets. I am currently looking at it to restructure things so I can keep going as is in life but I’ll tell you right now this is a direct result of the socialist program we call ACA. If the restructuring fails then I could lose it all. Not having that 900 dollar a month payment would have prevented all of this.

I can’t be the only one this is happening to, a lot of American’s max out their debt based on income. I was fine about 5 years ago, until this whole divorce thing messed me up. My ex took out a lot of loans, add attorney fees and it got me to where I am now. The ACA is the straw that broke this Camel’s back. Of course now my credit will be ruined and it won’t be back to good again until I’m close to 65.

What I don’t understand is how so many American’s can support corporate socialism. Insurance is just a corporate version of socialism when you break it down and look at it. It shouldn’t matter if the government is doing it or a business that benefits from a government requirement.

Definition of Socialism: a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

Everyone pays into it and everyone benefits, the rich pay more and the poor get a cheaper ride on the backs of the rich. It would actually in my opinion be better to get rid of the ACA and just increase the Medicare/Medicaid tax rate and put everyone on it that doesn’t have it through their work.

The ACA really should be tackling the expenses Doctors and especially hospitals charge to keep those prices down. Maybe it should be changed to require hospitals to show here is the cost of something and here is what we charge with a max profit level set on each item. So a Tylenol cannot be charged 80 dollars a pill anymore if 1 pill costs a buck they can only charge a few bucks for it. At least in my opinion the costs should be regulated like a Utility company and a review board needs to approve all price increases. I believe in the free market but if we are required to buy a product it is no longer the free market. That works great for optional services.

I am very happy about the Obama Care Act. I was able to purchase health insurance through this plan, but my plan has a $5,000 deductible that has to be met before I can use it, so I feel like I am no further than I was before. This insurance plan has yet to send me my policy, and I’ve been paying on it for three months. After three calls I finally got my cards, but that is all. I want to get rid of this insurance company but I can’t until Oct. of this year. I did finally get a sheet from the company that I can use my email to get copies of the policy and coverage and cards. I don’t want a paper card, and I would like a copy of my policy from the company. I am very unhappy with this company, the service is not very good at all.

Discrimination, humiliation and denial. Words that I shouldn’t have to use to describe my experience at the doctor’s office while seeking treatment for my arthritic knee. I was openly treated as if I were less than human by a local clinic because I am receiving “Obamacare”.

I have been poor all of my adult life. Through a series of bad luck and hardship I was also blessed with depression- a double whammy for anyone to deal with but something that you may never overcome. I accept my circumstances, my doctor and his clinic do not.

I was openly mocked by my doctor because I wanted him to speak to me as an adult because he tried to treat me like an illiterate 6 year old, he questioned my job history because I told him I knew whet he was explaining to me because I educated myself. Apparently there is a rumor out there that all poor people are stupid. He treated me as if I were dirty- no eye contact and the bare minimum of care not to mention some very important information in my chart was never written in my chart. I have arthritis and the last x-ray that he ordered was from a year and a half ago -the pain in my knee has increased ten-fold since my first visit.He ignored any request for further treatment telling me I should lose weight and I am too young for knee replacement, then he doubled my prescription for an antidepressant-very dangerous to double this pill when I had been off of it for a week because he refused the refill until I had a doctor consultation-I had it refilled many times in the past year with no problem. That alone set off bells in my head.

He then reluctantly referred me to the rheumatologist that gave me an injection in my knee, told me to lose weight, still no x-ray and now I am looking forward to “relief in a month” IF the shot works. Just keep taking 1600 milligrams of Motrin (per day) even though I had told both doctors that I had been taking NSAIDS e.g. Motrin for twenty years almost daily- it doesn’t work anymore.I also told him about my other knee beginning to hurt. The man actually said, “there are people in wheelchairs that just sit there all day and they are okay”- implying that it was okay with him if that happened to me. I was ignored again. The second doctor also talked to me like I had no clue so I left there with no way to get rid of the pain and I had already lost my job due to this issue. They hurried me out of their office and I cried in the parking lot.

When I called to complain to my insurance provider I was told that my clinic was openly trying to get rid of A.C.A. patients and they are desperate to get rid of all of us. I decided to leave the clinic because I need care- my condition is not going to improve and they are not going to ever care because they had already shown me what they are about. What can you do? There are no legal protections for the poor- legally they can reject all of us and there we are with coverage but no one to take it. I will never understand the elitist attitude of anyone that is expected to care for others, nor do I think that doctors should be forced to do anything they do not want to do, but where do we draw the line? I am supposed to suffer for the rest of my life because my primary care provider openly shows disdain for me?

I am afraid that I didn’t have it in me to stay in that clinic- maybe if I had been more vocal with my issues they could have addressed them, but now I feel that by being a whistle blower to their horrific treatment only provokes them to further exacerbate my pain. I no longer have any faith in them and I have switched providers – keeping my fingers crossed that the new doctor is a decent person.

My 12/4/12 heart surgery was possible because of the ACA which funded high risk pool insurance in my state just prior to the introduction of the ACA. I am very pleased to be healthy now and pleased to have insurance today !!