Affordable Health Care Act: Affordable for Who?

I am not good at any kind of political writing, but I feel compelled to do it any way because I am uber frustrated right now. I write about recovery and my faith, losing weight and dealing with mental health issues. That is my bailiwick. That is my disclaimer because what follows is pure frustration and anger, which are pretty alien to me now that I am in recovery. Now for the rant!!!!

Affordable for who????? They call it the affordable health care act and I can't see how that is. My wife was paying $300 a month for our previous insurance so we opted out of my insurance. Her insurance was a little bit better than mine was, so we went with her. Now that she is stay at home, we have looked back to my work for insurance. My work insurance went up 25% after the new affordable health care act went into effect. That was after them shopping around and changing plans.

We looked at Blue Cross/Blue Shield a month ago, and since the new act went into effect the price they have quoted us was doubled from a month ago. I want to know who this is supposed to be affordable for? Because for most of the people that I know, a 25% increase in one of your monthly bills that is NOW MANDATORY OR YOU GET FINED is too much.

To put the quote into perspective, the price for my wife and I alone is MORE THAN OUR  HOUSE AND TRUCK PAYMENTS COMBINED!!!!! Again I ask, how is that considered affordable? My daughter has insurance through medicaid since she was born with cataracts and is considered legally blind and we only have to pay $75 a month for her. The premium I talk about being more than both payments does not even include that $75.

I guess that if you are disabled or have insanely low income, this may be affordable because you will have medicaid. Other wise, it looks like we are screwed. I will pay almost $10,000 a year for insurance that has a $1,000 deductible and $4,000 out of pocket each maximum. If we both get ill, that is almost $20,000 a year for and with insurance. WHO IS THIS AFFORDABLE FOR!!!!! 

I PAY 20% OF MY GROSS FOR TAXES, THEN I GET TAXED ANOTHER 5-10% ON EVERYTHING I BUY. I PAY PROPERTY TAXES ON MY HOUSE AND CAR AND ANOTHER 20% OF MY TAKE HOME NOW FOR INSURANCE. I WOULD ALMOST RATHER BE A SOCIALIST STATE. AT LEAST AFTER I GOT TAXED 40% THERE I WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY A MAX OUT OF POCKET!!!!!!

This is by far the most bent out of shape I can remember being in quite some time. I just cannot fathom how we are supposed to be able to live after they take 50% of my pay check then expect me to pay deductibles and everything else. I see why people stay on welfare or disability once they get on it. It sucks to have these stressors. I could just check out and get disability.

I could probably get a disability check for my multiple mental health diagnosis, from bipolar disorder to generalized anxiety and a personality disorder or two to boot. Here is what that would look like: low cost/free housing, medicaid, SSID of about $1000-15000 a month, $600 in food stamps and maybe $300 in TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). But I will not take that, because I have the ability to work and there are a lot of people who can't function who really need that money.

For those who think that I am going to side with one group or the other, you are out of luck. For the most part politicians are millionaires that we pay hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to do several months of work. Our tax dollar also pays for them and their families to have insurance. Ninety percent of those in congress are so far out of touch with the realities a middle class family faces.

I am almost tempted to just pay the $2,000 per person fine for my wife and I. That is only $4,000 a year and it is cheaper. If I get sick, then I can just file bankruptcy. That would keep me in line with the members of congress. Last I saw, there were over 100 bankruptcies filed by members of congress and the senate. If it is good enough for our leaders, I could just follow their lead.

I am so frustrated and disgusted right now. I am not used to these feelings, so I am using my blog to vent. If anyone agrees with this rant, please let me know. If you disagree, keep it civil but let me know why. And if you have an alternative solution, please share it.