Missouri's irrational hatred of "Obamacare" left it ill-prepared for the current crisis

[TexasTowelie]

Ever had one of those birthdays that everybody forgets because there’s just so damn much going on? So you sit down mid-afternoon with a stale donut and a brew and call it a celebration.

Such might be the fate of the Affordable Care Act signed into law 10 years ago. The birthday of the signature healthcare legislation would be big news today were we not in the midst of — yes — a health crisis.

But some fans of the law are unwilling to let its milestone pass unheeded. On a telephone conference call organized by Missouri Jobs With Justice, Missourians talked about how the law has saved their lives, their incomes, or their families.

Lindsey Simmons, a single mom in Kansas City, was born with a heart defect that has required multiple surgeries and medications. Those costs, plus bills that piled up when she was seriously injured in a car wreck, bring her total medical costs to more than $2 million — well over the lifetime limits imposed by most insurance companies before the ACA banned the caps.

Read more: https://www.thepitchkc.com/missouris-irrational-hatred-of-obamacare-left-it-ill-prepared-for-the-current-crisis/

[central scrutinizer]

1. Definitely helped us

My wife, an IBEW journeyman, had great insurance when she was working. But she was occasionally laid off for months at a time and her coverage would stop. She was also covered under my plan so it was no big deal. I retired in 2015 and went on Medicare. She was laid off soon after and her union coverage ended. COBRA was an option but cost $1600/month. So we signed her up for coverage through ACA. Then in April 2016 she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Chemo and radiation wasn’t working and she was miserable. Quit treatment and went on hospice care. She passed in March 2017. The portion we paid was a small percentage of the total bill.