The Chapmans acknowledge that they are better off than many people, but they represent a little-understood reality of the Affordable Care Act. While the act clearly benefits those at the low end of the income scale \u201d\u201d and rich people can continue to afford even the most generous plans \u201d\u201d people like the Chapmans are caught in the uncomfortable middle: not poor enough for help, but not rich enough to be indifferent to cost.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are just right over that line,\u201d\u009d said Ms. Chapman, who is 54 and does administrative work for a small wealth management firm. Because their plan is being canceled, she is looking for new coverage for her family, which includes Mr. Chapman, 55, a retired fireman who works on a friend\u2019s farm, and her two sons. \u201cThat\u2019s an insane amount of money,\u201d\u009d she said of their new premium. \u201cHow are you supposed to pay that?\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
An analysis by The New York Times shows the cost of premiums for people who just miss qualifying for subsidies varies widely across the country and rises rapidly for people in their 50s and 60s. In some places, prices can quickly approach 20 percent of a person\u2019s income.<\/p>\n