Daniel Gutiérrez, 59, didn’t want to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. He flat out didn’t like the idea of accepting a handout.
For 25 years, Gutiérrez had a full-time job as a dishwasher and food preparation worker at Peabody’s, a popular restaurant in Montecito. But he lost the job and the health benefits that came with it in 2012, when Peabody’s closed.
Gutiérrez paid the $95 penalty fee for failing to sign up for Obamacare during 2014, when the health care reform went into effect. He paid the $325 penalty for 2015, too. But he balked at paying the $695 penalty for 2016. Gutiérrez now works at a restaurant in Carpinteria three days per week. He gets minimum wage plus tips – and no benefits.