I live in St. Louis, Missouri.  I am 51 and have worked full time my entire life since I graduated college.  I worked for 30 years for the same corporation until I decided to leave and work as a contractor.  I was immediately hired and have been working as an independent contractor for the last 6 years.  I love the freedom and flexibility that comes with contracting, but because I was in therapy I could not find an insurance company who would cover me – not for any price.  I’m not clear on why therapy was considered a preexisting condition but it was.  I went 2 years without health insurance simply because no one would cover me.

With the ACA I am able to get health insurance now and am doing all my preventative care – mammograms, colonoscopies, etc. that would have been difficult for me before.  I receive no subsidies.  I am simply now able to pay for insurance which I was always willing to do but was not given the opportunity.

I hope a bi-partisan solution can be found that will allow me to stay insured.