I have heard a lot of talk about Obamacare. The debate has been ongoing since he began office. The Republicans cry "it's too expensive". The Democrats cry "it is an American right". I believe they are both right and they are both wrong. Let me tell you a true story, and how Obamacare could have helped. Then you decide.
Ever since the announcement that the Obamacare health plan was unveiled, my sister was excited. You see, my sister who is now in her mid-40's, has not had health insurance in the last 15 or so years. She can't afford it. She works in child care and the pay is just above minimum wage so her gross monthly income runs about $1600 a month and there is an additional income of $1400 per month for survivors benefits for her son. Sounds good doesn't it? Well let me give you some facts about that.
She has the standard federal taxes taken out, which amounts to about $400 or so dollars a month. She has to drive, and so she has to buy car insurance, there's another $50. She has a teenage son, and well, you know how expensive they can be.
Rent runs $800 a month. Yes the place is a little large, it has 4 bedrooms, but it has a fenced yard, a garden and a garage. She could move to a smaller place, but considering that a 2 bedroom apartment is going for $700 a month and she wouldn't get to keep her dogs, she has decided to stay.
Then there is the utilities. The water, electricity and garbage run about $250 per month. There is no cable bill, so she only has Netflix to watch. Internet, which is at less and 1.0 mps, runs $25.00 per month. Food runs around $400 per month. She doesn't have a home phone just a cell phone, which the plan she uses costs $50 per month for unlimited everything.
So lets total this up: $1200 Working Income
$1400 Survivors Benefits
$2600 Total income per month
$ 800 Rent
$ 250 Utilities
$ 400 Food (and this is not steaks or expensive fast food, she does her own cooking)
$ 50 Car Insurance
$ 50 Cell phone
$ 25 Internet
$1575
So far she has $1025 left. Now lets factor in some other things. Her refrigerator went out, and of course she didn't have the money to buy a new or used one outright, so she had to rent to own on. Same with the washer. Together those are $150.00 per month. True she could go to a laundry mat, but the cost is so expensive, it almost saves money.
Then you add in gas for her vehicle. That runs about $200 per month. She could take the bus, but she has to be at work before they even start running, so that wouldn't be practical. She is got a ticket that wasn't her fault, but she still has to pay it. Another $25 down the drain.
Teenage boys grow out of their clothes and shoes almost before you done paying for them. And then they are hard on them. Figure another $100 or so per month You must figure in household supplies. Detergent, soap, dish soap, dog food, cleaning supplies, shampoo, conditioner, feminine hygiene products all come to about and extra $100. Plus incidentals, lets give another $100. So now we have:
$ 150 Rent to Own
$ 200 Gas
$ 25 Ticket
$ 100 Teenage Boy (Shopping at discount stores. Shoes more due to foot size)
$ 100 Household supplies
$ 100 Incidentals
$ 675
So now she has $350 left per month. Still sounds good right? Her job does not offer health insurance. Both she and her son need medications, which they can't afford because they are expensive and with no insurance, they have to pay full price. That comes to another $500 per month. Oops, now she's over what she has available to spend.
To top it all off, last year she became seriously ill with a kidney stone and was hospitalized for 3 days, 2 of which were in ICU. She had to have emergency surgery. Total Hospital bill: Over $200,000 dollars. She didn't have healthcare and she didn't meet the income guidelines for charitable relief, so yep, she is responsible.
She doesn't qualify for state health insurance for her or her son, she is $30 over the limit. She doesn't qualify for food benefits, so there is no help there. She couldn't afford to pay what the hospital wanted, so it went to collection, so now they are garnishing her, which means that original $1200 left over went to about $800. She checked into buying health insurance herself. Lowest bid $600 per month, and that is without prescription, dental or vision.
She works full time. She does not rely on any state or federal funding. She is the working poor. She needs new glasses (her eyesight is terrible), but can't get them because she doesn't have the money. She avoids going to the doctor, because she can't afford $100 for each visit. She does manage to get prescriptions refills every 3 months, but that is little help. With Obamacare, maybe she and her son can have some health insurance that would ease her burden.
So the next time you are talking about the Obamacare health plan, consider this, it isn't the rich or those on state aid it helps. It is those people who work for a living, and yet can not afford health care. Mitt Romney was heard to say, well the poor just go to the emergency room anyway, so why do we need this.
Well, Mr. Romney, you have never had to live paycheck to paycheck. You have never had to live by a budget that the ordinary expenses was more than the income. Why don't you and everyone of the detractor's get down in the trenches and live on a budget that a working family does. She is raising her son through no fault of her own. His father died. That was a loss of income of $1600 per month.
She tries to do right by the government. She obeys all the laws and to my way of thinking is a goody two shoes (sorry, but I am not as saintly as she is). She has given to her community and tried to make the world a little better. She has done right by the government. When are they going to do right by her?
