Today, those of us in NY who rely on state health insurance were sent a text saying we are about to lose our coverage. Did you get a text from your state, too? What did it say?
Terrifying. I'm on NYS medicaid but haven't gotten any texts yet... maybe they're going in alphabetical order, you're C and I'm F? I make my calls and sign (probably worthless) petitions but it all feels so fucking hopeless.
My sister is 74, is severely learning disabled and has multiple physical disabilities. She lived with my parents until they both passed away and I have been responsible for her care since 1991. Here in Arizona, the state has an outstanding assisted living program for Medicaid or dual eligible (medicaid and medicare eligible).
She is thriving, has a social life, the staff are kind and caring individuals. All but $125 dollars of her Social Security goes to the facility and HUD chips in $125. To be clear, my sister despite her disabilities, worked almost 35 years (obviously most minimum wage), paid into Social Security, and has never needed financial assistance from the state until we were no longer able to physically care for her in our home.
As her POA, we are waiting to notice to see if this program continues. The HUD destruction in the bill is unclear and AZ is still in process of how to spread the losses across multiple programs.
I sent my GOP representative that if this program an official registered letter that since he voted for this bill, I will be dropping my sister off at his house and transferring responsibility to him. Of course, no answer!
Jane Fonda said the GOP is now firmly in a "documentary moment". History is recording every despicable hateful, death filled action our GOP has crafted and passed. Their children will be asking the question the German children of the 1950s were asking "What were you doing when Hitler was in power Mom, Dad?"
I’m so sorry! This is awful. And yes. This is one of those moments in history when our grandchildren will ask us what we did. By writing this today, I’ve already lost 30 subscribers. So be it. We all need to be screaming right now against this fascist regime. As loud as we can. Thank you for your story.
Thank you, as always, for your posts. I have called our shockingly useless New York State senators. I had ACA insurance for a decade and was incredibly grateful as a self-employed person. Like you, my experience was mostly positive. have graduated to Medicare, but I know the GOP is coming after this too. For any people out there who are about to qualify for Medicare, I urge you to purchase the AARP supplemental health insurance if you can afford it.
I am a HUGE fan of Obama care and grateful for it everyday. As a person who has worked for myself as well as others - I have changed insurance a lot over the years and before the ACA, it was a huge challenge. The options in NYC have been incredible and I don't know what we would do without it. Remember - we lost 1 Million people in the US during Covid - many, many of them victims of poor care - and sadly - most people don't even discuss it. I think we have normalized the loss of so many of our citizens that people aren't taking actions.
We let the corporations and billionaire take over everything and convince us that giving them tax breaks was the answer to it all when actually using the tax dollars they should be paying for the benefit for the greater good was the answer all along.
I got a text as well (NYS). It does say that the "changes" slated would be for 2026—so at least it's not immediate. But the next 6 months will go fast in terms of fighting this and making sure we retain coverage. It says that people in my situation "may see their costs increase by 38 percent." Completely unacceptible.
While I am not a New York resident, I have a deep empathy for those of you who are in that position. Up here in Vermont, my partner is on the health plan that is a result of the ACA. I myself am on Medicare with a gap coverage plan that is turning out to be pre-poor – It changes every year. These days, I live in fear of having Medicare cut (some analysis that I have read suggest that it inevitably will have to be cut in order to pay for the tax cuts for the rich) and my Social Security eliminated. The chaos is really difficult to handle. And yes, the millions of people that will die as a result of all of their actions is a terrible reason to cut the federal budget while raising the deficit and decreasing tax bills for the billionaires. I find it perplexing that even the people who voted for him do not seem to care about this.
They don’t seem to care because they (I believe) are in the echo chamber of Fox News and social media that is specifically engineered to bolster their beliefs. (We are all victims of the latter, by the way.) In the case of health insurance, we can’t go back. Hence, I’m screaming about this now while I still can. For whatever it’s worth. And yes, what you bring up about Medicare and Social Security is frightening for someone like me who is 59 and counting on these things to be there when they were supposed to have been there. I’ve been paying social security my whole life, as we all have. The idea that that money will not be available to us feels like nothing short of theft.
I made the calls. I never got a text, but moving to France for a year forced me to have to give up my NY State coverage until we return. Well, we've returned and now I'm flying uninsured and terrified about what will even be available to me come November/Jan 2026. Ugh. Thank you for alerting us all to this seriousness. xx
OMFG... I turn 60 this year and have been on ACA in California since we first could sign up in 2008... saved our family. Before I was hemorrhaging close to 1/4 of my earnings for healthcare and my then 5yo needed his tonsils and adenoids out and we nearly lost our house b/c the copays were so enormous (hello anaesthesiologist not in network, we learned after the fact)... what a shit show... ACA has been remarkable. We are actually quite healthy, but yes, some older lady issues and if I didn't have this coverage I would be screwed. I too work freelance in media and non profit. I'm so exhausted by this rehashing of clearly beneficial policies... hoping CA will have a solution, will make the calls!
I know. I’ve had a crazy and spotty history with health insurance, too. A nightmare in this country. I thought we had solved it. It was working well. Why mess with a good thing? Oh, right. Billionaires need their tax cuts.
Right, I thought the days were over when I used to buy birth control in France --as much as I could at one time... just insanity... not to mention the lack of coverage for dental and hearing, was quoted $1700 for a chipped tooth... I have no dental insurance --arrgh.
I’ve just been explaining how the Swiss health insurance system works to a good friend (grew up in Germany, has lived in the US for 40 years), whose post-grad daughter has just moved to Switzerland for a job. The questions she asks me! All a reminder of how skewed and broken the US system is.
(I am self-employed in Switzerland. Neither my insurance carrier nor coverage nor premiums changed when I left my corporate job.)
Before the bazillionaires turned healthcare AND health insurance into a for-profit business in the US, the playing field wasn’t level. Why is health insurance tied to your job? As a “benefit”? Because every company that provides health insurance to its workforce, no matter how small or family-friendly, gets a tax break for the (highly-discounted) premium subsidies it pays for its employees. No companies want to give that up— and that is where a revolution has to start for any hope of real change in the system. Sigh… so glad I left, and so desperately sorry for my family, friends, and colleagues who are mired in this morass.
Terrifying. I'm on NYS medicaid but haven't gotten any texts yet... maybe they're going in alphabetical order, you're C and I'm F? I make my calls and sign (probably worthless) petitions but it all feels so fucking hopeless.
I’m really curious about who was sent what, when, and why.
My sister is 74, is severely learning disabled and has multiple physical disabilities. She lived with my parents until they both passed away and I have been responsible for her care since 1991. Here in Arizona, the state has an outstanding assisted living program for Medicaid or dual eligible (medicaid and medicare eligible).
She is thriving, has a social life, the staff are kind and caring individuals. All but $125 dollars of her Social Security goes to the facility and HUD chips in $125. To be clear, my sister despite her disabilities, worked almost 35 years (obviously most minimum wage), paid into Social Security, and has never needed financial assistance from the state until we were no longer able to physically care for her in our home.
As her POA, we are waiting to notice to see if this program continues. The HUD destruction in the bill is unclear and AZ is still in process of how to spread the losses across multiple programs.
I sent my GOP representative that if this program an official registered letter that since he voted for this bill, I will be dropping my sister off at his house and transferring responsibility to him. Of course, no answer!
Jane Fonda said the GOP is now firmly in a "documentary moment". History is recording every despicable hateful, death filled action our GOP has crafted and passed. Their children will be asking the question the German children of the 1950s were asking "What were you doing when Hitler was in power Mom, Dad?"
I’m so sorry! This is awful. And yes. This is one of those moments in history when our grandchildren will ask us what we did. By writing this today, I’ve already lost 30 subscribers. So be it. We all need to be screaming right now against this fascist regime. As loud as we can. Thank you for your story.
You’re so beautiful—I really hate that this may/could/might/will/maybe happen to you. And all the 1000s of others.
C
Thank you, Sheila. It’s terrifying. All of it.
I have NYS insurance through the marketplace but didn’t receive a text.
Interesting! Do you take the tax credit or pay the whole amount monthly?
I pay monthly.
I got the text this morning!
!!!!
Thank you, as always, for your posts. I have called our shockingly useless New York State senators. I had ACA insurance for a decade and was incredibly grateful as a self-employed person. Like you, my experience was mostly positive. have graduated to Medicare, but I know the GOP is coming after this too. For any people out there who are about to qualify for Medicare, I urge you to purchase the AARP supplemental health insurance if you can afford it.
Good to know. And thank you, Julie!
If anyone needs a Medicare consultant...I have a good one. (Also...do not do Medicare Advantage.)
I am a HUGE fan of Obama care and grateful for it everyday. As a person who has worked for myself as well as others - I have changed insurance a lot over the years and before the ACA, it was a huge challenge. The options in NYC have been incredible and I don't know what we would do without it. Remember - we lost 1 Million people in the US during Covid - many, many of them victims of poor care - and sadly - most people don't even discuss it. I think we have normalized the loss of so many of our citizens that people aren't taking actions.
Yes. We have accepted, for too long, unnecessary deaths for lack of insurance in this richest country on earth. It’s a horror.
We let the corporations and billionaire take over everything and convince us that giving them tax breaks was the answer to it all when actually using the tax dollars they should be paying for the benefit for the greater good was the answer all along.
I got a text as well (NYS). It does say that the "changes" slated would be for 2026—so at least it's not immediate. But the next 6 months will go fast in terms of fighting this and making sure we retain coverage. It says that people in my situation "may see their costs increase by 38 percent." Completely unacceptible.
Yes. Six months is nothing. Book your appointments now. Before it’s too late.
While I am not a New York resident, I have a deep empathy for those of you who are in that position. Up here in Vermont, my partner is on the health plan that is a result of the ACA. I myself am on Medicare with a gap coverage plan that is turning out to be pre-poor – It changes every year. These days, I live in fear of having Medicare cut (some analysis that I have read suggest that it inevitably will have to be cut in order to pay for the tax cuts for the rich) and my Social Security eliminated. The chaos is really difficult to handle. And yes, the millions of people that will die as a result of all of their actions is a terrible reason to cut the federal budget while raising the deficit and decreasing tax bills for the billionaires. I find it perplexing that even the people who voted for him do not seem to care about this.
They don’t seem to care because they (I believe) are in the echo chamber of Fox News and social media that is specifically engineered to bolster their beliefs. (We are all victims of the latter, by the way.) In the case of health insurance, we can’t go back. Hence, I’m screaming about this now while I still can. For whatever it’s worth. And yes, what you bring up about Medicare and Social Security is frightening for someone like me who is 59 and counting on these things to be there when they were supposed to have been there. I’ve been paying social security my whole life, as we all have. The idea that that money will not be available to us feels like nothing short of theft.
I made the calls. I never got a text, but moving to France for a year forced me to have to give up my NY State coverage until we return. Well, we've returned and now I'm flying uninsured and terrified about what will even be available to me come November/Jan 2026. Ugh. Thank you for alerting us all to this seriousness. xx
I will get a part time job at Trader Joe’s if I can’t get healthcare elsewhere. That’s my plan. For real.
Maybe I will see you there. Atlantic and Court? 😘
Whichever one will hire me.
OMFG... I turn 60 this year and have been on ACA in California since we first could sign up in 2008... saved our family. Before I was hemorrhaging close to 1/4 of my earnings for healthcare and my then 5yo needed his tonsils and adenoids out and we nearly lost our house b/c the copays were so enormous (hello anaesthesiologist not in network, we learned after the fact)... what a shit show... ACA has been remarkable. We are actually quite healthy, but yes, some older lady issues and if I didn't have this coverage I would be screwed. I too work freelance in media and non profit. I'm so exhausted by this rehashing of clearly beneficial policies... hoping CA will have a solution, will make the calls!
I know. I’ve had a crazy and spotty history with health insurance, too. A nightmare in this country. I thought we had solved it. It was working well. Why mess with a good thing? Oh, right. Billionaires need their tax cuts.
Right, I thought the days were over when I used to buy birth control in France --as much as I could at one time... just insanity... not to mention the lack of coverage for dental and hearing, was quoted $1700 for a chipped tooth... I have no dental insurance --arrgh.
I’ve just been explaining how the Swiss health insurance system works to a good friend (grew up in Germany, has lived in the US for 40 years), whose post-grad daughter has just moved to Switzerland for a job. The questions she asks me! All a reminder of how skewed and broken the US system is.
(I am self-employed in Switzerland. Neither my insurance carrier nor coverage nor premiums changed when I left my corporate job.)
Before the bazillionaires turned healthcare AND health insurance into a for-profit business in the US, the playing field wasn’t level. Why is health insurance tied to your job? As a “benefit”? Because every company that provides health insurance to its workforce, no matter how small or family-friendly, gets a tax break for the (highly-discounted) premium subsidies it pays for its employees. No companies want to give that up— and that is where a revolution has to start for any hope of real change in the system. Sigh… so glad I left, and so desperately sorry for my family, friends, and colleagues who are mired in this morass.