Under the ACA, if you were not able to afford insurance you were fined 700.00 penalty when filing taxes. Never made much sense to me. I was able to get the majority of those I filed for a waiver from the penalty.

Unless you do not have the penny to spend. Not speaking to anyone directly, but it is difficult for many to understand how some have to decide between food, shelter, and medical care/medicine. If you have children it becomes more difficult.

I agree, most of us don't know what that is like, or used to but have forgotten.

However, I do not care for that segment of those in that situation that seem to have money for tattoos, piercings, beer, lottery tickets and the latest cell phone----hard to feel sorry for them.

While the ACA has led to about 13 million more people with Medicaid, many more have been harmed. Middle-income families without employer-provided coverage and small businesses and their workers have largely fared worse from higher health care costs as did the nation’s taxpayers who are responsible for funding all of the law’s new spending. For the average employee, very hi deductibles and co-pay, it is a catastrophic insurance policy only.

IMO All that we face in life builds character. For me this involves everything from being blessed with a beautiful family, to my fighting stage 3 cancer in my 30's. It is evident to others that my health issues has affected who I am.