I worked at the Call Center for the Affordable Care act on first and second enrollment.
Honestly most of my job was fine, I sighed up the better part of 18'000+ people in the two years. Only once did I get a call from a person that could not afford Health care that actually got fined. (That was mostly because he seamed to have massively over extended his money)
But it was very difficult getting calls from people in states that did not expand Medicaid. Because I had to tell them they would not get health care. And could not get help paying for health care. (Because they should have been covered under Medicaid) And many where convinced they would be fined for not having medical care. (They would not, you are exempt it the cheapest care will cost more then 8% of your income)
My worst call. (I will cut out and collapse some of it, it was a 90+ min Call)
Me: "Welcome to the health care market place, my Name is William Wilson how can I help you today." (You have to pick a fake last name on the phone)
Caller: "Ya that N*GG*R Said I had to get insurance and I got this number to call."
Caller: "Ya that N*GG*R Said I had to get insurance and I got this number to call."
-At this point I should make a note, I am a man with a not so light Kentucky Accent, this called was a man with a not so light Alabama Accent, and sounded to be a older man-
Me -Long pause- "Sir are you referring to the President?"
Caller: "Ya! That N*GG*R."
Me: -Long Pause- "Sir I would love to help you with your health care, but I'm going to have to ask you to please stop using that kind of language."
Caller: -Stars crying openly over the phone- "I'm sorry, I just don't know what to do. I don't have any money, I live by my self. I can't afford Insurance and I cant pay a fine, I don't want to go to jail."
Me: -I had to spend the next 15 minteds calming him down by telling him that I was going to help him, and I was not going to hang up or even go home before I helped him."
Me: "Sir I'm very sorry but your state has not expanded medicaid so you wont be covered. But you don't make any money to your income is $0. Eight percent of Zero is Zero. So you are exempt, you don't have to pay a fine."
Caller: "There gonna throw me in jail!"
Me: "NO Sir, no one is going to throw you in Jail."
Caller: "But they said they where gong to!"
Me: -Frustrated pause- "Who? Who Said that?"
Caller: "The News."
Me: -Flabbergasted sound- "WHAT news?" -Pause- "Don't Answer that sir, I don't need to know or care. Let me read you the law sir."
Me: -I spent the next 15 minutes reading the exemption part of the law word for word for the man, and finally convinced him that he was fine. Then Directed him to a local library, which I called and asked to help him fill out a exemption form... Which he did not have to do, but I wanted him to have the piece of paper to make him feel better. I Then Directed him to a local hospital program so he could have yearly checkups-
Caller: -The whole call ended with him thanking me, and apologizing again, saying that he didn't hate the president and he didn't mean to call him those things, But he was just so frightened and mad.-
