(CNN) - Jessica Sanford, the Washington State woman cited by President Barack Obama as an Obamacare success story, received more bad news Tuesday. Officials with the state's health exchange checked on her case and said she will not qualify for assistance in buying insurance.
Sanford had written the White House last month after purchasing what she thought was affordable health care coverage on the Washington state insurance exchange.
Part of her message was read by the President at a Rose Garden event at the a White House on October 21.
But in the days that followed that presidential shout-out, Sanford received letters from Washington state's insurance exchange, notifying her she did not qualify for a tax credit she was originally told she would be getting.
After looking into Sanford's matter, officials with the exchange admit they made a mistake calculating her benefits, along with those for thousands of other Washington state residents.
"The Exchange would like to sincerely apologize to Jessica Sanford and all those affected in Washington State by this error," Washington Health Benefit Exchange CEO Richard Onizuka said in a statement provided to CNN.
"Unfortunately, Jessica Sanford is one of the individuals who is affected by this tax credit miscalculation," he added.
A 48 year old self-employed court reporter and single mother of a teenage son with ADHD, Sanford said it's now unlikely she will be able to afford to buy insurance.
"I'm not getting insurance unless I pay more money than I'm willing to pay," Sanford said.
"I've always been in this middle place. I make too much but I don't make enough."
Sanford said after her story appeared on CNN she was contacted by a person who identified herself as a spokeswoman in the White House press office.
Sanford said the White House official offered to help "in any way."
Asked about Sanford's story White House press secretary Jay Carney said the administration regrets the mix-up.
"We are certainly sorry as we can be that Jessica is one of the folks that has been affected by this," Carney said.
Sanford, an Obama and health care reform supporter, said "yes, I do" when asked if changes need to be made to the Affordable Care Act to help people like her.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/19/bad-news-for-woman-cited-as-obamacare-success-story/
