No such thing as affordable health care
To the editor:
I want to put the Affordable Care Act into perspective for northern Maine.
A single 50 year old with a $32,000 annual income has a monthly premium of $735. After state and federal income taxes, sales tax, property taxes, use taxes, excise taxes, Social Security tax and Medicare tax, this individual is paying about 50 percent of their income in taxes. If an individual travels 23 miles one way to work, the vehicle depreciation, tires, insurance, gas, oil changes, create a non-tax deductible expense of about 25 percent of their income. This individual is left with approximately $720 a month to live on.
The $735 monthly premium for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is every single solitary penny that this individual has left to live on for the month.
Wilbur Clark
Presque Isle
