Missouri's irrational hatred of "Obamacare" left it ill-prepared for the current crisis

Ever had one of those birthdays that everybody forgets because there’s just so damn much going on? So you sit down mid-afternoon with a stale donut and a brew and call it a celebration.

Such might be the fate of the Affordable Care Act signed into law 10 years ago. The birthday of the signature healthcare legislation would be big news today were we not in the midst of — yes — a health crisis.

But some fans of the law are unwilling to let its milestone pass unheeded. On a telephone conference call organized by Missouri Jobs With Justice, Missourians talked about how the law has saved their lives, their incomes, or their families.

Lindsey Simmons, a single mom in Kansas City, was born with a heart defect that has required multiple surgeries and medications. Those costs, plus bills that piled up when she was seriously injured in a car wreck, bring her total medical costs to more than $2 million — well over the lifetime limits imposed by most insurance companies before the ACA banned the caps.

Read more: https://www.thepitchkc.com/missouris-irrational-hatred-of-obamacare-left-it-ill-prepared-for-the-current-crisis/