Boston Herald Adriana Cohen column

March 04--Here's a letter I hope your family never has to open. I just found out that due to Obamacare, my health insurance plan has been canceled.

The replacement plan is going to cost my family $7,750 more each year! And that's not counting all the other piled-on costs.

Wait, there's more. I need to enroll for new health insurance I don't want by the end of the month on a malfunctioning website state officials may scrap.

Whatever happened to President Obama's pledge that "if you like your insurance plan, you will keep it."

Try telling that to the 5 million Americans who have had their plans also scrapped thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

Now I'm among those battling the Mass. Health Connector, where the glitches have been so bad 54,000 Bay State residents have been forced to submit paper applications.

I spoke to a "Navigator" at the connector who verified that the empty-your-pockets letter I received from the state is a sad reality. In order for my family to get an HMO plan similar to the one we had, my monthly premium will be going up $646. (From $1,520 to $2,166 monthly for a family of five.)

The Navigator explained that our co-pays are also jumping -- from $20 to $30 per office visit -- and we also could be subject to an additional $4,000 of out-of-pocket expenses for a variety of medical services not covered under Obamacare, such as X-rays, CAT scans and more.

Total it up, and Obama-care could cost my family an extra $12,000 annually!

What happened to the president's promise that the average family would save $2,500 per year?

It's no wonder the Washington Post gave the president four Pinocchios in 2013. And Politifact, a fact-checking website, said Obama told the "Lie of the Year."

The president misled us when he said the Affordable Care Act wouldn't affect those who already had insurance. Ditto when he promised you wouldn't lose your doctor.

How many other Democrats in office parroted those same lies to their constituents?

Nancy Pelosi was wrong when she said the ACA was a "Jobs Bill."

Not true. The ACA has done the opposite. The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan group, has reported the ACA will kill at least 2.5 million full-time jobs and add at least $1 trillion to our national debt. Plus cause a mass doctor shortage.

You don't need more evidence to know America has been sold a false bill of goods.

Adding insult to injury, Harry Reid recently said the Obamacare "horror stories" being told are all "untrue." Sorry, Harry. My family is a victim of Obama-care.

Bottom line: We can't have a strong nation when citizens can't trust their own government. Thankfully, we have the 2014 and 2016 elections to affect change. It's time to vote all the Pinocchios out.

Adriana Cohen is co-host of "Trending Now" on Boston Herald Radio. Visit adrianacohen.com or follow her on Twitter @AdrianaCohen16. If you've been hurt by the ACA, send an email to [email protected] or call 617-619-6493.

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