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Hugh Meade hopes he can find a health plan that costs less than his home mortgage. Katie Bolin is looking for an insurer who won’t turn her down for pre-existing conditions. Ricardo Lopez Jr. wants coverage so he can stop going to free clinics.

Meade, Bolin and Lopez are among several hundred thousand uninsured Oklahomans whose lives could change when the next phase of the Affordable Care Act takes effect.

Starting Oct. 1, Oklahomans can begin applying for private-market policies through a new federally-operated online health insurance marketplace. The policies will take effect on Jan. 1, 2014.

Q&A on the health-care marketplace.

Many people remain confused about the details, although the federal government is offering information and pre-registration at www.healthcare.gov or 1-800-318-2596. The coverage options available through the health-care act, widely known as Obamacare, won’t necessarily work for everyone. But for people like Meade, Bolin and Lopez, they might make sense.

Here are their stories.

HUGH MEADE
Age: 43
Location: Oklahoma City
Occupation: independent sign contractor
Estimated 2014 income: $28,000
Estimated silver plan premium: $84 per month
Estimated bronze plan premium: $26 per month
Read Meade’s story…

KATIE BOLIN
Age: 35
Location: Yukon
Occupation: licensed practical nurse
Estimated 2014 family income: $65,000
Estimated silver plan premium: $307 per month
Estimated bronze plan premium: $255 per month
Read Bolin’s story…

RICARDO LOPEZ JR.
Age: 30
Location: Tulsa
Occupation: legal assistant
Estimated 2014 income: $25,000
Estimated silver plan premium: $286 per month
Estimated bronze plan premium: $237 per month
Read Lopez’s story…

CHRISTY JOHNSON
Age: 38
Location: Oklahoma City
Occupation: long-distance customer service rep
Estimated 2014 income: $18,720
Estimated silver plan premium: $ 188 per month
Estimated bronze plan premium: $130 per month
Read Johnson’s story…

BEN MOORE
Age: 33
Location: Oklahoma City
Occupation: restaurant server
Estimated 2014 income: $22,000
Estimated silver plan premium: $259 per month
Estimated bronze plan premium: $182 per month
Read Moore’s story…

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Faces of the Uninsured: Oklahomans Weigh Their Options on the Health-Care Marketplace

by Warren Vieth, Oklahoma Watch
September 21, 2013

<h1>Faces of the Uninsured: Oklahomans Weigh Their Options on the Health-Care Marketplace</h1> <p class="byline">by Warren Vieth, Oklahoma Watch <br />September 21, 2013</p> <p>Hugh Meade hopes he can find a health plan that costs less than his home mortgage. Katie Bolin is looking for an insurer who won’t turn her down for pre-existing conditions. Ricardo Lopez Jr. wants coverage so he can stop going to free clinics.</p> <p>Meade, Bolin and Lopez are among several hundred thousand uninsured Oklahomans whose lives could change when the next phase of the Affordable Care Act takes effect.</p> <p>Starting Oct. 1, Oklahomans can begin applying for private-market policies through a new federally-operated online health insurance marketplace. The policies will take effect on Jan. 1, 2014.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <p><strong><a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/2013/09/20/qa-on-health-exchanges/">Q&amp;A on the health-care marketplace.</a></strong></p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <p>Many people remain confused about the details, although the federal government is offering information and pre-registration at www.healthcare.gov or 1-800-318-2596. The coverage options available through the health-care act, widely known as Obamacare, won’t necessarily work for everyone. But for people like Meade, Bolin and Lopez, they might make sense.</p> <p>Here are their stories.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <p><strong>HUGH MEADE</strong><br /> Age: 43<br /> Location: Oklahoma City<br /> Occupation: independent sign contractor<br /> Estimated 2014 income: $28,000<br /> Estimated silver plan premium: $84 per month<br /> Estimated bronze plan premium: $26 per month<br /> <a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/?p=1286"><strong>Read Meade’s story…</strong></a></p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <figure class="wp-block-image wp-caption alignnone is-resized"><a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Katie-Bolin.png"><img src="http://oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Katie-Bolin-336x252.png" alt="Katie Bolin" class="wp-image-1285" height="252" width="336" /></a><figcaption>&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>KATIE BOLIN</strong><br /> Age: 35<br /> Location: Yukon<br /> Occupation: licensed practical nurse<br /> Estimated 2014 family income: $65,000<br /> Estimated silver plan premium: $307 per month<br /> Estimated bronze plan premium: $255 per month<br /> <a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/?p=1288"><strong>Read Bolin’s story…</strong></a></p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <figure class="wp-block-image wp-caption alignnone is-resized"><a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Ricardo-Lopez-1.jpg"><img src="http://oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Ricardo-Lopez-1-336x229.jpg" alt="Ricardo Lopez Jr." class="wp-image-1279" height="229" width="336" /></a><figcaption>&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>RICARDO LOPEZ JR.</strong><br /> Age: 30<br /> Location: Tulsa<br /> Occupation: legal assistant<br /> Estimated 2014 income: $25,000<br /> Estimated silver plan premium: $286 per month<br /> Estimated bronze plan premium: $237 per month<br /> <a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/?p=1289"><strong>Read Lopez’s story…</strong></a></p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <figure class="wp-block-image wp-caption alignnone is-resized"><a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Christy-Johnson.png"><img src="http://oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Christy-Johnson-336x231.png" alt="Christy Johnson" class="wp-image-1282" height="231" width="336" /></a><figcaption>&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>CHRISTY JOHNSON</strong><br /> Age: 38<br /> Location: Oklahoma City<br /> Occupation: long-distance customer service rep<br /> Estimated 2014 income: $18,720<br /> Estimated silver plan premium: $ 188 per month<br /> Estimated bronze plan premium: $130 per month<br /> <a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/?p=1292"><strong>Read Johnson’s story…</strong></a></p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <figure class="wp-block-image wp-caption alignnone is-resized"><a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Ben-Moore-3.png"><img src="http://oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Ben-Moore-3-336x258.png" alt="Ben Moore" class="wp-image-1281" height="258" width="336" /></a><figcaption>&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>BEN MOORE</strong><br /> Age: 33<br /> Location: Oklahoma City<br /> Occupation: restaurant server<br /> Estimated 2014 income: $22,000<br /> Estimated silver plan premium: $259 per month<br /> Estimated bronze plan premium: $182 per month<br /> <a href="http://oklahomawatch.org/?p=1294"><strong>Read Moore’s story…</strong></a></p> <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://oklahomawatch.org/2013/09/21/faces-of-the-uninsured-profiles-of-oklahomans-weighing-marketplace-options/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://oklahomawatch.org">Oklahoma Watch</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/okwatch-icon.png?fit=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://oklahomawatch.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=1296&amp;ga3=UA-41441228-1&amp;ga4=G-6G6K9FYSH8" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p> Copy to Clipboard

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