My other daughter works in an office and her husband is a salesman, both college graduates. Their income is average for those kind of positions neither high enough to easily afford to lay out $18,000 annually for health insurance nor low enough to qualify for any breaks. Jobs that once provided insurance back in the 70's had cut back their benefits over the years to where they would contribute so much and the employee would contribute the balance, I was paying about $200/mo when I was last employed in the early 2000's. When Obamacare came in, most offices made drastic changes in what was offered or dropped it completely in the hands of the employee with only the benefit of group rates. Insurance companies raised deductibles and increased the copays. Procedures that once were normally included in an office visit, now are billed separately with an additional copay required.
I understand you have gap insurance, I can't afford it.
The idea of coverage for all is a noble one but the problem is the number of low income people who require aid isn't stable. Every year, more people join the ranks and I'm not referring to to the aged or those who become sick, I'm referring to the sheer number of new immigrants and their families and who is expected to pick up the tab? It's a bottomless pit and nothing can be done but drag the middle class down to poverty levels too.