Larry Daniels, a 62-year-old medical technologist from Paintsville, Ky., was a few years away from qualifying for Medicare, so each month he paid $732 to keep his health insurance from his past employer through COBRA.
Read the previous blog post on Daniels from October HERE
It was hard coming up with that money every month, so Daniels was thrilled when he found out that he might be eligible for subsidies that would reduce the amount he paid for his plan from Kentucky’s health insurance exchange. “It’s nice not to worry about pinching pennies in order to be able to afford that monthly premium,” he said.
He ended up qualifying for a $600/month subsidy, which covers the cost of his platinum plan entirely. “And its better insurance than I had before,” said Daniels. “My deductible used to be $1,500, and now it’s only $500.”
Last fall, Daniels helped set up an information booth on the new healthcare law at the well-attended Kentucky Apple Festival. “It make me feel proud that I might have helped hundreds or even thousands of people at the festival sign up for health insurance,” he said.
For millions of American’s, the day has finally arrived when they can visit a doctor without worrying about the costs. And for many others like Daniels, their quality of life will be vastly improved by not having to pay outrageous premiums for the plans they desperately need.
“When I got that card in the mail, it was the greatest thing I’ve felt in a long time,” Daniels said. “I’ve always said that from the moment we get out of bed in the morning, our lives are deeply affected by politics. And this is one of the instances where I feel proud of both the state of Kentucky and the lawmakers who passed the healthcare law.”
This article was originally printed on SEIU on January 17, 2014. Reprinted with permission.
Author: SEIU Communications
