These Patients Are Covered by Obamacare But Can’t Afford Treatment
- High deductibles keep patients from seeking care for ailments
- ‘It hurts, but we don’t have that kind of money,’ patient says
Assessing Obamacare: What's Working and What Isn't
This article is for subscribers only.
While Obamacare has brought health insurance to millions of people in the U.S., some in the program are finding that the medical care they need is too expensive to actually use.
Michelle Harris, a 61-year-old retired waitress in northwest Montana, has arthritis in both shoulders. She gets a tax subsidy to help buy coverage under Obamacare, though she still pays $338 a month for the BlueCross BlueShield plan. Yet with its $4,500 deductible, she says she’s doing everything she can to avoid seeing a doctor. Instead, she uses ibuprofen and cold-packs.