Meet Loretta Johnson
Virginia Association of Personal Care Assistants/SEIU
"My husband had open heart surgery and was diabetic. In 2000, he was so sick I had to quit my job as a deputy court clerk to take care of him--but I lost my health insurance. After he passed away, I became a personal care assistant, giving others the same type of care I gave my husband. But, I still don't have health insurance coverage
for myself.
"Like so many Americans, I'm not old enough for Medicare and I don't qualify for Medicaid. I've been paying on a hospital bill from a couple years ago when I had a heart attack.
"Affordable, good quality healthcare for everyone is so important to me, I left my job in southwest Virginia in February to become an SEIU member lobbyist. I've been visiting members of Congress, attending hearings and rallying other SEIU members to take action.
"It's time that insurance companies no longer control our healthcare system so people like me actually have a choice and have access to affordable care."
How reform will help Loretta
As a home care provider in Lebanon, Va., Loretta does not have access to employer-based coverage. She is 62 years old, making approximately $26,000 per year, and is unable to find affordable insurance in the individual market--insurers are free to charge older consumers much more than younger consumers.
The healthcare bills currently before Congress would greatly benefit Loretta and other older consumers. Under the House bill, Loretta would pay about $158 per month in premiums and would have access to a plan with good benefits and a cap of $2,000 on her annual out-of-pocket costs. Under the Senate bill, she would pay $163 per month, but the benefits she would receive are not as comprehensive as the House bill and her out-of-pocket exposure would be almost $3,000 per year.
Older consumers with higher incomes (above $43,320 for a single individual) would pay more for their premiums in the Senate bill than the House bill because the Senate would allow insurers to charge older consumers three times what they charge younger consumers; the House bill would limit that spread to two to one.
