OH Podiatrist Satisfied With Insurance Under Obamacare
Before the Affordable Care Act became law in 2010, Dr. Tanisha Richmond said she couldn’t buy health insurance — at any price. “I’m a diabetic, and because of my pre-existing condition, I just couldn’t buy a policy,” said Dr. Richmond, who is self-employed and runs a podiatry practice at the Charles R. Drew Health Center. “I was turned down numerous times, so I just paid cash for my medication, doctors visits, and lab tests. As a diabetic, you have to have blood work about every three months, so the costs can add up quickly.”
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Dr. Tanisha Richmond |
“As soon as the law passed (in 2010), I was able to buy a policy,” the 32-year-old foot-and-ankle specialist said. “At the time, I was paying close to $700 a month (in premiums). After the health insurance marketplace opened last year, I cut my premiums in half.” She now pays $340 a month for a policy from Medical Mutual of Ohio that carries a $5,000 deductible. Unlike 85 percent of who signed up for marketplace coverage this year, Dr. Richmond’s income was too high to qualify for federal tax credit subsidies that could have reduced her premium and deductible even further. Still, she said: “I’m very satisfied with my coverage now. I had to change doctors because the doctor I had been seeing wasn’t in my network under my new policy, but I found a doctor right away, so it never interrupted the continuity of my care.”
Source: Randy Tucker, Dayton Daily News [9/27/14]
