UPDATED-Koch bros' fake "Obamacare victim" Julie Boonstra made to look even more foolish & exploited
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/11/1283774/-Koch-brothers-fake-Obamacare-victim-Julie-Boonstra-made-to-look-even-more-foolish-and-exploited?detail=facebook
"It can’t be true…I personally do not believe that."
Cross-posted from Eclectablog.
My home town of Dexter has been in the national news a bit lately. It started when Congressman Tim "the Original Tea Partier" Walberg invited a resident of our Stars Hollow-like village, Julie Boonstra, to be his guest at President Obama's State of the Union address as a "victim of Obamacare".
From there, she was featured in an anti-Gary Peters ad by the Koch brothers' front group Americans for Prosperity, an ad that has gotten more attention after being completely debunked than it would have gotten otherwise.
AFP doubled down, running another ad where Boonstra tearfully cries about being "silenced" by Gary Peters who questioned her veracity. Julie Boonstra may be the loudest "silenced" person this country has ever known.
Now Boonstra is making the news again after an excellent bit of journalism by Detroit News reporter Marisa Schultz tears her already debunked story to shreds:
Boonstra said Monday her new plan she dislikes is the Blue Cross Premier Gold health care plan, which caps patient responsibility for out-of-pocket costs at $5,100 a year, lower than the federal law’s maximum of $6,350 a year. It means the new plan will save her at least $1,200 compared with her former insurance plan she preferred that was ended under Obamacare’s coverage requirements.
A Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan spokesman said the insurer welcomes a chance to help members understand their benefits and alleviate concerns.
“We are here to help people like Ms. Boonstra to work their way through adjusting to the health plans we are now offering them,” the Blue’s Andy Hetzel said. “If there are questions ... they should call.”
Boonstra’s old plan cost $1,100 a month in premiums or $13,200 a year, she previously told The News. It didn’t include money she spent on co-pays, prescription drugs and other out-of-pocket expenses.
By contrast, the Blues’ plan premium costs $571 a month or $6,852 for the year. Since out-of-pocket costs are capped at $5,100, including deductibles, the maximum Boonstra would pay this year for all of her cancer treatment is $11,952.
When advised of the details of her Blues’ plan, Boonstra said the idea that it would be cheaper “can’t be true.”
“I personally do not believe that,” Boonstra said.
