Connecticut Readies for Health Care, Application Rate Soars as Deadline Approaches

[TomCADem]

Source: Litchfield County Times

Dan Beecher and his wife, Louise Coogan Beecher, unemployed since they lost their jobs in the 2008 housing crash, couldn’t find any affordable health insurance.

* * *

After being uninsured for five years, the couple recently was insured under the Affordable Health Act. They signed up during an enrollment fair for the Affordable Care Act in Cornwall last Saturday and found they were eligible for a government subsidy. Now they qualify for a free health plan.

“We can finally see doctors,” Mrs. Beecher said, wiping her tears.

Connecticut has its own exchange for the Affordable Care Act, Access Health CT, which is separate from the the federal site, healthcare.gov, and which has been reported to be among the most successful in the nation. To have insurance coverage on Jan. 1, the deadline for enrollment is Dec. 15. Connecticut’s application activity has skyrocketed this week, with close to 1,000 people signing up for coverage each day, compared to a previous peak totaling 3,544 enrollees for the entire week before Thanksgiving, according to the CT Mirror.


Read more: http://www.countytimes.com/articles/2013/12/16/life/doc52aa27bfe7931186061605.txt

[SoapBox]

1. More good news.

[CTyankee]

2. Interesting that they live in Cornwall. It's a lovely little CT town, like out of a picture book

of the idyllic Litchfield County small towns. It has a somewhat famous covered bridge and lots of artists and some writers.



Litchfield County is known as a place where reclusive New Yorkers go to hide their money, which is why this story somewhat surprises me.

Here is a story about the interesting makeup of this town: http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/cornwall-connecticut-zmaz09onzraw.aspx#axzz2nk004m3x

[90-percent]

3. Me, me me me

I live in the northeast corner of Litchfield County. no celebs near me I know of, but they're all over the place heading towards the SW part of the county.

I like it here.

I applied and got health insurance starting Oct 1, 2013 from "Connecticut Solocare". I don't even know if this is "Obamacare" but it's $357 a month and I am really really really happy about it.

My COBRA was due to run out end of Sept, 2013. I applied for health insurance last summer and did the dance with Aetna. Three weeks later I was denied due to what I consider "pre-existing conditions". Because of two prescription drugs, one I've been on and off for 15 years and the other is a year old. I was also overweight. So this experience was the final gasp for THE OLD DEATH PANEL HEALTH INSURANCE SYSTEM.

Back in the good old days when health insurance was only offered to those that didn't need it because they have impeccable health histories. The old days where 45,000 of us died each year for lack of health insurance.

The other benefit is that my health insurance no longer needs to come from a full time employer. I can get my own and it's reasonably priced and I can do contract or part time work. I no longer have to stay in a job I don't like just to keep health insurance. The feeling of economic liberation is delightful.

The COBRA for my wife and I was $1300 a month. She got SS disability late 2012 so my COBRA went down to about $700 a month just for me. COBRA and later my wife's medicare, which is part of ss disability, paid for THREE CANCER OPERATIONS at Yale New Haven. We would have lost our home and life savings if we weren't insured. Now all of America never has to worry about medical bankruptcies ever again! Unless the Republican destroy Obama and Obamacare campaign succeeds, which it wont!


-90% Jimmy