How a layoff changed Bill Boyd’s opinion of the ACA
"I don't want it to be shut down," said
But
"The system that's in place now is not working," said the
The
It will be a politically daunting task for
Scroll down to read more of the story.
"SO WHAT DO WE DO?"
The
They had good health insurance through Bill's job at
On
With their health insurance running out at the end of the month, the
Five months later,
Soon after,
Her medication costs
Without the tax credits, the
The
"When I was working, I always had health care," Bill said. "But when you get laid off ... I look at it differently."
See the map below on mobile devices. Hover on any county to see how many insured and insurers it numbered in 2016 and 2017. Scroll down to read more of the story.
"IT'S NOT WORKING"
Overdorf said his monthly premium for a policy that covers him, his wife and his daughter has increased from about
His family doesn't qualify for tax credits, which are awarded to those making between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. That means an annual income of
Overdorf, the
With soaring health care costs, his company went from subsidizing 100 percent of its workers' premiums in 2010 to less than 50 percent, depending on what kind of plan they choose, Overdorf said. His employees must choose between a high-deductible or a high-premium policy to make up for the company's increased costs. He said he has about five employees who find it cheaper to pay a federal penalty -- it varies by income -- imposed on those who waive coverage.
Whether it is correct to blame the Affordable Care Act for employers' higher costs is a much-debated issue with no definitive answer. The law has few provisions that significantly increase costs and statistics show premium increases have slowed in its wake, said
Still, most employers complained about soaring administrative costs associated with complying with the law, according to a 2015 survey by the
Overdorf is one who has made up his mind: The law is costing his business. He said
The lack of competition is evident in the shrinking number of insurance companies providing coverage through the law. After UnitedHealthcare dropped out of the program, the number of insurers in
"The challenge has been how do we continue to provide benefits for our employees ... while costs continue to rise," Overdorf said, "and there's nowhere that's more evident than within our health insurance."
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