[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

So I got laid off last year and lost medical coverage. My wife works at a low-paying job, but was able to get healthcare coverage for our family.

This year, the rate increased, so the premium now exceeds her pay. She could work more, but her hours are limited to 30 per week.

We don't qualify for financial assistance, and I don't qualify for COBRA anymore.

Having a great time out here. Glad to see Obama still has time to golf.

[Kanzan]

This may be an escape hatch for a lot of people looking for ways not to comply. Decline employer health insurance, not required to buy insurance. This needs to be exploited all the way.

[Obadiah]

Very sorry to hear of your trials. I know this may be hard, but this exactly what Medicaid is supposed to be for. Please look into it.

That’s the safety net we all agree on rather than the life-long entitlement.

[steve86]

I hope things improve for you folks somehow. My COBRA expired about 12 years ago. The only way we manage is through state-based coverage (not Massachusetts!). It actually works well for us and we are some of the very few survivors on the plan -- I don't mean still alive LOL, I mean nearly everyone else has been disqualified over the past few years). But this plan may go away in 2014 and then it is going to be the medical jungle for us like so many people.

[Bronzy]

My neighbors, for financial reasons, divorced. She recently on Medicare. He, younger, applied for a welfare type insurance plan from the state. She said that her part time job did not have a family insurance plan.