Calling it “a life saver,” residents across Northwest Washington are finding quality affordable health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act. With more than 175,000 people already signed up for new coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder, many residents are finding they qualify for quality health care for the first time in years.

Constituents have sent messages to Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, asking him to fight against efforts to repeal the law and sharing their personal stories of enrolling in health care coverage. Some of those stories are summarized below. Larsen highlighted these successes in a video message to constituents.

“I know there have been problems with this rollout, but the crisis in health care in this country is not a website that doesn’t work. The crisis is that 48 million people are uninsured,” Larsen said.

“A constituent named Liz, from Bellingham, Washington, told me she was angry when she found out her insurance company was cancelling her plan,” Larsen continued. “She was angry. Until she logged on to Washington’s health insurance marketplace and found better coverage at a better price. Now, she tells me, she’s ‘a happy camper.’

“Sharon in Friday Harbor was another person who received a cancellation notice from her insurer. She’s not upset though. She found insurance that will save her $3,000 a year. She told me, ‘I hope there’s no backtracking.’ I hope so too.”

A sampling of Northwest Washington residents’ stories is available here and below:

• Bob (Bellingham): “I am on Medicare, but my wife signed up, we are very happy with the coverage, she is a newspaper carrier and hasn't had health insurance for years, finally we have coverage for her, thank you for your support of the ACA, it is a life saver.” (11/19/13 via Facebook)
• Leslie (Marysville): “I know the new healthcare plans are causing stress and confusion but for someone who hasn't had health insurance for over 3 years a start is better than no start. People need to relax and give it a chance. I am sure it will need tweaking but change often does.” (11/15/13 via Facebook)
• Sharon (Friday Harbor): “I am one of those who received a cancellation notice. I found a much better, more affordable plan on the WA Healthplanfinder plan website. $2,500 deductible instead of $5,000 and better prescription coverage. Less total out of pocket. I'll be saving more than $3,000 per year. The WA health exchange website is very well done. I hope there is no backtracking.” (11/15/13 via e-mail)
• Liz (Bellingham): “I was one of those people that were angry that I was going to lose my existing coverage and then I logged onto Washington's site and found I was going to get better coverage at a better price. Now I am a happy camper!” (11/15/13 via Facebook)
• Kristi (Anacortes): “I've had a bad policy as long as I've been on the individual insurance market; at one time it was affordable, but after tripling in the last 8 years, the premiums were gobbling up 20-25% of our AGI. So when I first checked the exchange plans I was horrified to see premiums 57% higher, at best. Then hugely relieved to learn that at my income level I qualify for a tax credit. I will be paying just slightly less for better coverage.” (11/15/13 via Facebook)
• Betsy (Clinton): “It is easy to see that this alone would greatly benefit our family moving forward and I'm sure I can speak for many other Americans.” (10/15/13 via e-mail)
• Susan (Lopez Island): “Please fight for the Affordable Care Act - My husband has just been diagnosed with cancer. His current insurance provider is making this a very difficult experience for us. We will be changing his insurance effective Jan. 1, but without the Affordable Healthcare Act we could not do this because he now has a preexisting condition. We need this protection.” (9/17/13 via e-mail)
• Lee (Lynnwood): Lee told our office that he hasn’t been fully insured since 2010. He’s diabetic and had a heart attack last year, but hasn’t been able to find affordable health insurance. He and his wife are employed part time and don’t have insurance through their employers. Through Washington Healthplanfinder, Lee and his wife have signed up for full coverage starting in January and feel that the Affordable Care Act is the best thing that has happened in the country for years. (10/30/13 via phone call)
• Rod (Bellingham): “He and his wife will pay $457 a month for a plan that will cover both of them, thanks to a tax credit. That's better than the $533 monthly premium he now pays just to cover himself, while the deductibles will be about the same. ‘It's a much better plan than either of us had had before,’ the 63-year-old Burton said, adding that his new plan will have needed prescription coverage, unlike his old plan. ‘I'm thrilled.’ (11/17/13 via Bellingham Herald)
• Mary (Snohomish): “Mary Chonzena left smiling. ‘This is wonderful,’ she said. Chonzena had just stepped out of a mobile van parked at Everett Plaza Thursday afternoon, part of a statewide effort to help people who don’t have health insurance sign up. Chonzena, 53, of Snohomish, said it's been five years since she's had health insurance. ‘My husband retired and is done working,’ she said. He's gotten health care through the Veterans Administration. ‘I had no insurance,’ she said. Chonzena came to Thursday's event to get more information on buying health insurance and said she'll do a little more shopping before making her choice. ‘It went so smoothly,’ she said.” (11/8/13 via Everett Herald)
• Sandra (Skagit County): “I was able to sign up without much problem. I'm thrilled that I will be able to get the subsidized Premera Silver plan for $150 a month with a $300 deductible. I was laid off 12/31/2013 due to budget cuts and the COBRA plan I was on with a $1,500 deductible was going up to $490/month 1/1/2014, and COBRA coverage would have run out 12/31/2014. Thank you for helping ensure that people like me will be able to have health coverage through the ACA!” (11/20/13 via Facebook)