It was with interest I read the piece in the March 25 issue titled “We all benefit from affordable health care.” It was authored by Dow Constantine and Susan Johnson, people who, upon finishing the article, I deduce do not live with affordable care.

I am a Washington state enrollee, and I am grateful for this attempt by the U.S. government to address the health care problem. At first, it seemed great: easy sign-up, good array of choices, clear website and income-based governmental bonuses. Then, after one year, the cost of my insurance doubled. The governmental bonus did not change. For those living from paycheck to paycheck, this is a shock.

One might think a raise in pay would help. But one must report all wage changes; the bonus received from the government is reduced when wages rise; the raise is nearly equal to the lost benefit.

Or consider the plight of those who enrolled and, because of low income, received health care at no cost, only to find that no Vashon physicians accept it. They must pay out-of-pocket for routine visits or commute to a doctor off-island. And who, working a low-wage job, has that privilege?

This is the human face of the Affordable Care Act, the face that statistics do not reflect. Constantine and Johnson blithely say that the ACA is working; we are all better off. Surely, they receive health benefits as a bonus, and said coverage is not affected by a raise and is accepted by the physician of their choice.

I don’t have an answer, but there will never be one if those in power believe that everything is hunky dory.

— Debbie Butler