Ann Battenfield's healthcare coverage has so far been expensive and inefficient. The Affordable Care Act could change her life -- and the lives of millions in similar situations.<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON, May 8 -- President Barack Obama made expanding the pool of insured Americans and guaranteeing coverage for those with pre-existing conditions cornerstones of his health care reform effort. <\/p>\n
The resulting Affordable Care Act might well have been written for Illinois resident Ann Battenfield. She lacked insurance for 18 months before health care reform became a reality. <\/p>\n
Credit: Andrew Hedlund -- Medill News Service <\/p>\n
Battenfield has been self-employed since the 1990s and, as a result, was self-insured, but toward the end of that decade it became increasingly difficult to get coverage. <\/p>\n
By about 2001 I was out of options, Battenfield said. For a while I would take consulting jobs with companies who offered to keep you on their insurance as long as you worked with them, even though I didnt want to work for the company. <\/p>\n
The work was temporary. So, after she finished the job, she would be eligible for COBRA, government-sponsored health insurance for people who lose their jobs or see a reduction in hours. <\/p>\n
(Note: Issues ruled by the Internal Revenue Service dictate that anyone between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty line are eligible. It could be slightly different though if a state decides to participate in the Medicaid expansion.) <\/p>\n
In the early 2000s, Battenfield stumbled upon a union that offered health insurance, a windfall that lasted until late 2008. <\/p>\n
But she has periodic limb movement disorder that occurs during sleep. Insurance carriers consider it a pre-existing condition, meaning obtaining coverage didnt come down to just costs. It was also eligibility. <\/p>\n
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Original post:<\/p>\n
Health care tax credits: Eligibility and economic impact<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ann Battenfield's healthcare coverage has so far been expensive and inefficient. The Affordable Care Act could change her life -- and the lives of millions in similar situations. WASHINGTON, May 8 -- President Barack Obama made expanding the pool of insured Americans and guaranteeing coverage for those with pre-existing conditions cornerstones of his health care reform effort. Continue reading