Conflicted!

After a couple of months of helping people obtain insurance through the Marketplace … I feel conflicted. I am of the opinion that people are better off with insurance – 24/7. There is never a time or place where NOT having insurance is a good thing. But, the Marketplace definitely has some challenges.

Today I worked with a young woman for the second time. Because she has never had a loan or a credit card, we are unable to verify her identity. At least now we know what the issue is and how to address it, but it has taken about three hours over two afternoons to get to this point. And, to get her qualified and enrolled in insurance will take one more trip to my office. Luckily, her mom knows how important it is for her to have healthcare insurance, and is supporting her in this. On their own, I’m pretty sure they would have given up.

This morning, I helped a man qualify for healthcare coverage. He hasn’t been able to work for some time due to a back injury. His wife works and has insurance through her employer. She makes minimum wage, with some opportunity for overtime. As we worked our way through his application, with the tax subsidies and cost sharing he is entitled to, he can purchase healthcare insurance for as little as $10.92 a month, with a low deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. For him, the Marketplace worked. No pre-existing condition exclusion, subsidies that really help and a good product – real health insurance.

A couple of individuals I have worked with have very low income, and qualify for some tax subsidies, but because they smoke, the cost of their insurance is less affordable for them. They have to really look at their budget, and make the decision if they can afford the health insurance. Yeah, I know – if they quit smoking, they could afford it. If only it were that easy. Our smoking cessation classes prove that quitting smoking is not easy – it often takes more than one time through the program to be successful. Some people never are.

But, I wonder – we (by that I mean, the Affordable Care Act) penalize those who smoke, but not those who are obese or those who refuse to exercise, or those who make other lifestyle choices that also cause health issues. So, is it fair? I don’t know. Life isn’t fair – so, it’s complicated.

I have to tell you – I am so excited every time someone walks out my door newly enrolled in healthcare. It is truly a time for celebration. I wonder at all of those who are so opposed to the healthcare law… do they really know what it means for people to NOT have health insurance?