This post, by Jim Kukral, originally appeared on The Huffington Post on 7/3/12.
Sarah Woodbury writes books and sells them online. A big part of her family income comes from the sales of those books; in fact, her family can live off of her income alone. Yet, because of the rising costs of health care, her husband is forced to work a full-time job to ensure they keep their coverage.
Sarah is indicative of a group of authors who have been meaning to make the jump to full-time, but can’t do it because of fear of losing their health care coverage.
"We can live on my income now, but health insurance?" said Mrs. Woodbury. "Yeah — the lack of it if he quits his job is one of the two things keeping my husband at his job. We have four kids — going without health insurance isn’t an option."
The Supreme Court ruling that the Obama health care legislation is in fact constitutional has created quite a stir with authors all around the country. Many now feel like they can finally make their writing into a full-time career now that they can’t lose their health coverage.
Kate Delaney, author of 5:00 Breakout, says, "The biggest thing keeping me at my day job is healthcare. Depending on the cost of premiums after the Act goes into full effect, I will definitely be examining the options."
An anonymous message board poster only known as "Gutman" had this to say:
I am close to retirement (I’m 58.) I’m only working the day job full time because of health insurance. I can honestly say that if the bill survives the election cycle, and all its parts kick in by 2014, going to half time and buying health insurance through the pool becomes a real possibility for me, and makes it possible to transition to writing full time in retirement by writing half time until I’m 65.
But others aren’t so sure.
Victoria J says it’s a wait and see decision. "I have no plans to. I would like to see how things look after 2014 before I ever made such a decision."
Read the rest of the post on The Huffington Post.