Md. Residents Weigh In On Affordable Care Act

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Congress targets Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. They want to know when she found out healthcare.gov had major problems and who she told.

Derek Valcourt has the local impact.

Waitress Kathy Kelly is one of millions counting on the Affordable Care Act for the health insurance that she doesn't have right now.

"I need it. First of all, my age. I need health care for surgery if it comes up or whatever might come up. I need some kind of health care to help me out," she said.

She says she was able to log into the healthcare.gov website, but she says she's still in sticker shock over the rate she was quoted and can't afford on her modest income.

"I had a $20,000 deductible with a $302 payment a month," she said.

She's not the only one running into roadblocks. Glitches with the federal and state insurance websites have forced many people to seek out help getting enrolled. Small businesses like the Double T Diner are waiting to learn more before they explore plans for employees.

"We will be shopping when the time comes. We don't offer health insurance at the current time, but it is something that we will have to look into," the owner said.

For now, Kelly say she will wait for changes and improvements to the healthcare.gov website before she decides what she'll do next.

"Maybe they'll find out something I don't see or I don't know," she said. "Hope that it helps me because right now it's not."

The White House says President Barack Obama has complete confidence in Sebelius. The president gave a speech in Boston defending the health care law.