For North Carolina’s Working Poor, Fears Of Losing Coverage, Owing Uncle Sam

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA–At 61, Ken Helms of Charlotte, North Carolina, would love to have health insurance. Based on what he earned directing traffic this year, he’s eligible for federal help paying premiums and out-of-pocket costs under the Affordable Care Act.

But he worried that his unpredictable income could leave him in the lurch. The subsidies are designed to provide more help to those with smaller paychecks. But in North Carolina, the floor drops out when a wage-earner falls below the poverty level, a distinct possibility for Helms.