In a Beaverton home, the transformation of rough hardwood floors is under way. The man working the sander has to be extremely careful; he has no health insurance.
“My name is Vincent Hollingsworth and I do not currently have health insurance,” he says, smiling.
Vincent is like many Americans who not only don't have health insurance, they don’t want the government forcing them to buy it.
“Philosophically, yeah, I do have a problem. It doesn’t seem American to me,” Hollingsworth says. “Being basically taxed into this doesn’t make sense to me."
Hollingsworth heads a family of six. The independent contractor says health insurance is too expensive. He pays for doctor's visits - out of his own pocket.
“When the economy's been like it has been for the last three years, that’s an item we cut from our budget," he says.
In Vancouver, Terry Toristoja doesn’t care if the government forces her to buy health insurance. She simply can’t afford it. The 62-year-old is out of work and has no health insurance.
“But that is so expensive, $800 a month," she says.
She struggles with knee pain and wants medical treatment. But without insurance, she has no options.
“Not good,” she says, shaking her head.
Terry and her husband raised eight kids. But after a divorce, her fixed income doesn't go very far. She's sharing an apartment with her daughter and pays for her daughter's health insurance. The budget is tight.
“You can’t afford to be sick,” she says.
Vincent and Terry are just two of millions of Americans without health insurance. Both want it, but wonder if today's ruling will do anything to make it affordable.
“What are we supposed to do?" Terry asks.
