Advocate Spotlight: Robin Bochsler
After losing her husband suddenly, Oregon mom loses her insurance, too
“I thought, Oh my God, what am I going to do?”
Robin Bochsler never misses an opportunity to tell her elected officials she’s worried about rising health care costs. She’s testified before the Oregon Legislature, signed every petition she sees, written her U.S. senators and congresswoman — and has responded to calls for action from Voices for Affordable Health more than a dozen times.
“I tell my story whenever I can, because I need health insurance,” she says.
As a busy mother of four, Bochsler didn’t pay a lot of attention to health care costs until her husband of 30 years died following the sudden onset of rare bile duct cancer. He was just 49 years old. Bochsler lost the health coverage tied to his employment.
“I panicked at first,” Bochsler remembers. “I thought, oh my God, what am I going to do?”
After seeking advice and researching on her own, Bochsler was relieved to discover she could purchase medical coverage through the state health marketplace established as part of the Affordable Care Act. She worked a series of jobs, before taking an early retirement at 61 relying on Social Security survivors’ benefits as her main source of income.
She feels fortunate to have remained healthy and that the prescription drugs she needs are not too expensive. However, Bochsler has watched members of her family struggle. Her sister and son-in-law have type 1 diabetes and insulin is costly. Her mom had both hips replaced and the bill topped $120,000. Bochsler herself has seen the cost of a doctor’s visit jump from $40 to $80.
Bochsler expects her ACA premiums will nearly double this year, after Congress and President Trump allowed the tax credits that helped make coverage more affordable expire. But she says she’ll use her savings to cover those costs until she is 65 and on Medicare.
“I fear not having insurance and then having something happen to me,” she says. “I’m pretty healthy. But you never know.”
Join Robin Bochsler and other advocates who have shared their stories with Voices for Affordable Health. We’d love to hear from you!
###