Forced to choose between paying bills and having health coverage, many Americans are risking it and going without.
Last week Bloomberg News asked its readers to share their own stories of “risking it” without health insurance coverge. The response was overwhelming. More than 3,000 people from across the U.S. shared their challenges, giving us a possible preview of what life may soon be like for the lazy 93% of Americans who are not millionaires.
Whitney Whitman waited until her 7-year-old daughter had been sick for almost two weeks before taking her to the pediatrician for a visit that ended up costing $275. Her family of four in Bird Creek, Alaska, outside Anchorage, last had insurance in 2016.
When she looked for coverage last fall, the cheapest plan Whitman could find was $1,734 per month, with a deductible of $10,500 for the family. She splits her time between mental health counseling and mediating legal disputes, such as divorces. She made about $110,000 before taxes in 2016.
