(From the Feb/March Z) Sowing Clover: Let’s Not Kill Smokers, and BONUS: The Wages of Slim…by Tonya Stiles

Excerpt:

Despite what had seemed like a fantastic subsidy from the government, their premiums would still amount to nearly $7,000 a year for the cheapest plan. And they would get no co-pay, no co-insurance. They wouldn’t get any help from their insurance at all until they had paid a $12,000 yearly deductible. The next cheapest plan added $3,000 to their yearly cost and barely reduced the deductible at all. To get halfway decent coverage, they would pay over $20,000 a year in premiums.

I felt awful. Here, I’d been such a cheerleader for the ACA. I had told them so many times how cheaply we got healthcare. That our premiums were low and, even better, our deductibles were reasonable, with minimal co-pays for doctor visits, etc. Affordable Care had treated us well. But, I hadn’t known–thanks to a loophole in the law, and the cigarettes in their hands, our good friends were screwed.

To read more of Tonya’s story, follow the link below:

Sowing Clover: Let’s Not Kill Smokers, and BONUS: The Wages of Slim…by Tonya Stiles