Yesterday, there was a rather disturbing op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Nicole Hopkins. It detailed the awful saga about her mother being forced into Medicaid after Obamacare axed her insurance.
Hopkins noted how her mother knew Medicaid was always an option for someone in her financial shape, but refused to enroll since she didn’t want to become a “government dole.” She cherished her independence – and had the dignity of not becoming part of a system that encourages dependency.
“I just don’t expect anything positive out of getting free health care,” she said. “I don’t see why other people should have to pay for my care, whether it be through taxes or otherwise.” By paying for her own insurance, it was a way for Hopkins’ mother to legitimize herself as a “full functioning member of society” There’s good reason for that.
Nicole noted that when she was young – her working mother was able to pay for health insurance that covered her whole family. Now, Obamacare has made that impossible for millions of Americans.
The plan offered under Obamacare, which Hopkins’ mother couldn’t afford, included:
[C]overing maternity needs, newborn wellness and pediatric dental care. My mother asked: “Do I need maternity care at 52?” In addition to requiring her to pay an extra $1,677 annually, the plan would have increased her deductible by $1,500.
What options were left. Well, there was just one: Medicaid. A program Hopkin’s mother had spent her life avoiding.
I asked her [ my mother] to walk me through her application on Washington Healthplanfinder to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. Sitting in New York with my computer, I logged onto the site under her name and entered the information my mother provided over the phone. I fully expected her to realize that she had forgotten some crucial piece of information, like a decimal point in her annual income. We checked and double-checked the information, but the only option still appeared to be Medicaid. She suggested clicking on “Apply for Coverage,” thinking that other options might appear.
Instead, almost mockingly, her “Eligibility Results” came back: “Congratulations, we received and reviewed your application and determined [you] will receive the health care coverage listed below: Washington Apple Health. You will receive a letter telling you which managed care plan you are enrolled with.” Washington Apple Health is the mawkish rebranding of Medicaid in Washington state.
The page lacked a cancel button or any way to opt out of Medicaid. It was done; she was enrolled, and there was nothing to do but click “Next” and then to sign out.
Of course, Medicaid is not a new option for my mother; she knew that she was poor enough to qualify for cost-free health care. It was a deliberate choice on her part to pay that monthly $276 out of her own pocket. Clearly she had judged that she received a personal benefit from not being on Medicaid.
[...]
Before ObamaCare, Medicaid was one option. Not the option. Before this, she had never been, in effect, ordered to take a handout. Now she has been forced to join the government-reliant poor, though she would prefer to contribute her two mites. The authorities behind “affordable care” had erased her right to calculate what she was willing to spend to preserve her dignity—to determine what she thinks is affordable.
That little contribution can mean the difference between dignity and despair.
With millions of Americans’ health care in the government crosshairs, we should expect more tragic stories akin to that of Hopkins’ mother. For those who doubt that Obamacare isn’t meant to destroy the individual insurance market, I’m sure the Hopkins family would disagree.