Take Care, Mr. Elson
New York Times Documentaries presents the story of one man’s hard path to health insurance in the age of the Affordable Care Act.
By Emma Cott, John Woo and Abby Goodnough on Publish Date June 14, 2015.
David Elson of Louisville continued to work at installing alarms while he tried to cope with his diabetes, kidney problems, and congestive heart failure. The New York Times documents his struggle to pay for medications that cost $550 a month.
When the ACA exchange (KYnect) was implemented he found a plan that cost $353 a month with a $2,700 deductible. He earned too much to be eligible for Medicaid. When he was unable to afford the ACA plan on his $22,000 a year unsteady income, he was forced to wait until his kidneys failed completely which made him eligible for Medicare for those on dialysis.