Young Liberal: As Much As I Support Obamacare, I Just Can't Afford It

David Kurtz of the lefty website TPM — to his credit — published an email he received from a young reader living in New York City. The 32-year-old correspondent wrote that much to his chagrin as an ardent backer of the president and his unpopular healthcare law, he’s unable to afford its price tag. He suggests that his personal situation exemplifies the broader problems the program will have attracting the participation of young, healthy people:

I’m a 32 year-old healthy male that wants, but can’t afford, Obamacare. I think the law is a step in the right direction, it just doesn’t go far enough to capture my peers in large numbers. Let me offer my situation: I earn 55,000 a year working in a restaurant, though I have a Masters Degree. I live in Brooklyn. I earn too much to qualify for assistance with healthcare, so my premium is $308/month. My apartment rent is $1400/month, student loans are just under $800/month, I pay around $200/month in credit card bills, $100 for a cell phone, and $50 for car insurance. Then we have food, movies, metro cards, etc, etc … Run the numbers, where do I find room for another $308/month??? I’ve been off my parents insurance for 8 years. I’ve been to the doctor less than 5 times in those years, for a total cost of under $500. It’s hard for me to justify spending almost $3800 a year on a bronze plan when that’s more than 7 times what I’ve paid over the last 8 years! And even spending that much, I’ve still got a large deductible to cover. I know I’m not getting any younger, but man, these numbers are hard to swallow, much less get excited about!

http://bighealthreport.com/11145/young-liberal-as-much-as-i-support-obamacare...