Commentator Vincent DeMarco clearly knows what the true purpose of the Affordable Care Act is — getting free health care for 100,000 Marylanders at other people's expense ("Don't forget the ACA's true purpose," Dec. 16).
I do not know how you define "working families," but I do know what the ACA's cost would be to me and my "working" husband.
Last year, my husband started thinking about slowing down at work and going part-time. When I checked in September of 2013, we could have gotten a family plan for ourselves and our two children for about $600 a month.
That plan was similar to the one offered through my husband's place of employment, with benefits starting immediately. We have a co-pay and co-insurance, and once our deductible was met we just had co-pays. There was a $200 deductible per individual for prescription drugs and a formulary with co-pays after that.
Now that plan is no longer offered. With a Bronze Plan for just my husband and myself, the premium ranges from $659 to $697 per month, And we have to pay out of pocket (in premiums, deductibles and co-insurance) between $21,000 and $25,000 before we're covered at 100 percent.
The Silver Plans costs about the same. And if that wasn't a slap in the face, the doctor that we have been seeing for about 20 years is not in the network for any of the new plans.
Yes, these plans are very affordable — as long as you don't have to pay for them.
Susan Peltz
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