BLOOMSBURG -- Worried and scared -- words that describe Linda Artley's feelings to the announcement that more money could be coming from her pockets for health insurance.
The Bloomsburg woman is on the Silver Plan under the Affordable Care Act in Pennsylvania, that could be going up 30 percent.
“My first thought was feeling devastated for myself and my friends who are on Medicare and get help from the Affordable Care Act,” said Artley.
President Trump cut the subsidies that lower premiums and deductibles for people who get their insurance through Affordable Care Act. Even though there are four levels of plans available, only the silver-level plan is affected.
Artley tells Newswatch 16 she and her husband already make sacrifices. Affordable Care Act premiums in Pennsylvania were up 30 percent last year, too.
“We already draw from our retirement in order for me to pay for my insurance since I can’t get Medicare and right now we are drawing a lot and it's hurting us what we saved all our lives for,” Artley said.
For Lesley Geyer, it's not only the rising costs she's worried about. Geyer is also worried about whether insurance companies will pull out of the marketplace altogether.
“In our area, we have two choices of plans, both are HMOs. Because they are HMOs, I can only use two local hospitals,” Geyer.
Lesley hopes to see elected officials make changes so no one has to lose health care.
“Fix it, don’t flush it. Let's get together both sides and work this problem out,” said Artley.
And both sides may have come to a deal that would fund those subsidies the president cut and possibly lower those Affordable Care Act premium hikes.