Obamacare, our reality

I'm not looking for a debate but just wanted to let others know how politics and polices DO affect real people.

Want to know how Obamacare has really affected a middle-class family? 
 I'm not trying to push my political views on anyone.... just sharing what has happened to my family due to the health care reform by Obama.

We were notified months ago that our privately owned insurance would be dropping maternity. My husband works for a company and owns his own business.
He chose long time ago to get insurance through his business because the coverage was better and the overall rate was cheaper (when I say cheaper it is still over $500 a month.)

 Our insurance, BCBS of Texas- (a HUGE insurance company in Texas) -informed us when we got pregnant that due to high rates and premiums that they now faced.... could no longer afford to cover us in maternity. They said their policies had changed with Obama's reform.

Regardless of the LESS coverage, our monthly insurance would cost the same. A high $515/a month. 

We tired switching insurances and getting on his company's insurance.  We were denied until after this November (once our son would be born).  Basically, no insurance would take us because maternity  costs had risen due to the reform.  We spent MONTHS trying to find another carrier.  All the PRIVATELY OWNED insurances said the same.  We would not be covered in maternity.

Basically, if you OWN your own business and bought your own insurance... you were out of luck.  

Here we are a middle-class family,
My husband works TWO jobs.
I work part-time (and a full-time mom).
We are responsible tax payers that ALSO pay for health insurance---but we could not be covered in maternity.

The only advice given to us ALL by the insurance agents we called was to file for Medicaid.
This was Obama's answer.

However, we do not qualify.

I had numerous agents and health care people tell me to 'lie' or 'fudge' facts on my Medicaid file so that I could get covered.

They told me to say I was single.
That I was separated from my husband.
To lie about what we owned and didn't own.
They told me tons of people do this to get coverage.

As a Christian woman WITH morals--I could not lie and say I was a single woman.
Because, I am not.
I AM married and my family depends on my husband fully.
And WHY would I lie to make OTHERS (tax payers) pay for me?

My husband works 90-100 hour weeks.
We pay high rates for insurance that does NOT cover all our needs.

We have paid thousands of dollars for my pre-natal appointments--even opting out on tons of testing to save money.

I will be having a medically-needed c-section in the next few weeks that will cost us thousands more.
This future financial burden has stressed me out the past 9 months while expecting our son.
We have cut costs these months and worked OVERTIME to save for this surgery.

All the while I go to the doctor, shelling out hundreds to see my OB/GYN--to see people having 4-5 children WITH little to no costs.

As a mom, I'd love to grow my family and have more kids.
But the financial burdens we face with just having two children is tremendous.
Whereas some people can have all the kids they want, relying on Medicaid and the government and NOT working....
Whereas we have to work our tails off, pay high rates and NOT get covered.

What's wrong with our country?

I'm ALL for helping out the needy....but what about those that HELP themselves?
Where does working and working hard get you?!

I know what is has done for us.
It exhausts my husband (though he never complains).
It stresses a family.
It affects the future of the family.

I know in the days and weeks ahead--my husband will continue to put more hours into work in order to pay off our LARGE looming medical bills. We don't like having extra bills and debt.  We pay things off as soon as possible. We're responsible in the way we don't have car notes or pay for things that aren't needed.

Instead of having my husband home at 5pm where I'll need him with two babies--he will work well into the night to make sure that our extra bills can be covered. 

*And to share what those costs may look like--my son, born two years ago, cost over $60,000--luckily then we were covered by two insurances*

I don't know how to fix our country, but I DO know that this issue was a result of Obama's health care reform.

I am not saying ONE man or party is the change we need in our country...
But, this IS the result of ONE man's policy changes on a middle-class family.

I had insurance (with the SAME insurance we have now) that covered maternity and my son two years ago.

What I know, is we DO NOT have it now.

I'm just writing this to inform---
and as an educated woman...we have exhausted ALL other options.

To reiterate, 
privately owned insurances in Texas will not cover maternity.
And when we were told WHY--they said due to Obama's reform.

Just sharing our story.

-HK-


*Kie's birth did have some medical issues--that resulted in an extended NICU stay and hospital transfer.  This resulted higher post-natal bills.*
We do pray to God we do NOT have to deal with any emergencies this time around.