Bill Lee: “I rise today to give voice to some of my fellow Utahns, including a few of my fellow Utahns who are suffering because of…”

“I rise today to give voice to some of my fellow Utahns, including a few of my fellow Utahns who are suffering because of the health care law passed by this body nearly 7 years ago. These are not stories from wealthy Utahns who have simply had to pay higher taxes, nor are these stories from low-income Utahns who already have insurance through Medicaid. These are letters are from the too often invisible victims of ObamaCare--those middle-class families who used to be able to afford health care when they needed it but are now forced to pay for it and to pay for what amounts to, in some cases, one of their largest payments or even their largest payment they make each month for a so-called insurance plan that never seems to pay out because of high deductibles. Jenica from Davis County, UT, writes as follows: I am an ordinary mother raising my kids and striving to live within my means. For the first time, my family is facing a year with no health insurance. Our gross income falls a few hundred dollars per month too high for us to receive help through CHIP or UPP programs, but we cannot afford to purchase health insurance through my husband's work or through the Marketplace. After this year's premium increases, the most inexpensive plan offered to us on the Marketplace is a full quarter of our gross income per month (before taxes), and if we put that into our budget we will not be able to save any money to pay deductibles as healthcare needs arise.…”