One family's story: Painful cutbacks after insurance skyrockets under ObamaCare

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Calif. family struggles to afford ObamaCare premiums

Family trying to cut $800 from monthly budget to pay extra cost

A California family whose health insurance costs skyrocketed by almost $800 a month under ObamaCare says it is giving up things like haircuts and anniversary splurges to afford its new plan.

Trace Gallagher reported on “The Kelly File” Monday the Joy family is one of the many American families who lost their old plan under the new health care law. The new plan they were given costs $1,252 a month, a far cry from their old $499 a month plan.

“That's actually a little bit more than my monthly mortgage on my home, so you can imagine that you have to start thinking about, you know, where is the extra money coming to pay for the policy," Kate Joy said.

Joy, her husband and two college-aged sons were forced to make a list of things they had to give up to afford the new plan, including charitable donations, extra mortgage payments, and splurges such as frequent haircuts and anniversary celebrations.

Joy says she feels like her family’s decision to cut back could also negatively impact the businesses she frequents.

“I'm going to be cutting things like fewer haircuts, maybe not eating out as much, not going to the movies, that directly affects small business in our community," she said.