Salt Lake City, Utah

Fifteen years ago, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) let Stan Clawson quit an unfulfilling job and found a business. He could do that, he says, because he was finally able to find and pay for a health insurance plan that would cover the care he needs.

Since then, Clawson has built a steady career producing and editing documentary and marketing films for organizations across Utah. He also teaches beginning filmmaking at Salt Lake Community College and advises groups seeking to improve disability access.

That’s a personal issue for him. Clawson, 49, was paralyzed from the waist down after a rock-climbing accident in 1996. He uses a wheelchair and depends on regular medical treatment to stay healthy. His catheters alone would cost about $1,400 a month without insurance, he says. Clawson also relies on the ACA to afford wheelchair repairs, kidney ultrasounds, specialist visits, and treatment for recurring infections.

“For me, it’s not an option to not have health insurance,” he told the Salt Lake Tribune.

His ACA plan costs $334.95 a month, and federal subsidies – set to expire at the end of the year – cover another $382 of his health-care expenses. If Congress does not renew those subsidies, Clawson’s premiums could more than double.

He’s already cutting back on groceries and everyday expenses, he told the Associated Press. Next year, Clawson says, he might have to cut further or find a job solely for the insurance benefits. “What happens if all of our money goes to housing and health insurance?” he asks.

Utah is one of ten states that have not expanded Medicaid. Nearly three hundred thousand residents now rely on ACA plans, and enrollment rose sharply when the temporary subsidies were introduced.

For Clawson, the question is simple. “It’s not the person with a disability who is the problem – it’s the system,” he told Families USA, a health-care advocacy alliance. “Don’t make the Affordable Care Act a political thing. Let’s make it better. Affordable. Sustainable. That’s freedom.”

Posted on December 3, 2025.