Alex Henderson

The Political Zone

San Francisco Dominatrix and Fetish Model January Seraph: An Obamacare Success Story  

By Alex Henderson
RealmNoir, March 25, 2014

On March 24, San Francisco-based professional dominatrix/fetish model January Seraph sent out a message via Twitter announcing that thanks to the Affordable Care Act of 2010, she had finally obtained individual health insurance—which was a major event in her life considering that she has what health insurance companies in the United States call a “pre-existing condition.” In other words, Mistress January is an Obamacare success story.

In her tweet, Seraph wrote: “This past week I got health insurance. Of My Own. More than a decade of being ineligible due to "pre-existing"(s) is over! ‪#Obamacare.”

Seraph is a classic example of why health care reform is desperately needed in the United States. Like many people in the adult entertainment industry—or for that matter, mainstream entertainment—Seraph is a freelancer or independent contractor. And historically, freelancers in the U.S. have had to purchase their own health insurance—that is, if they could obtain it. Prior to the ACA, U.S.-based health insurance companies had an appalling policy of refusing to sell individual health plans to people with a “pre-existing condition” (which could be anything from asthma to diabetes to lupus to acid reflux). So freelancers like Seraph had a choice of either looking for a full-time staff position and becoming part of a company’s group insurance plan or doing without health insurance.

But one of the reforms of Obamacare is that health insurance companies can no longer exclude people because of pre-existing conditions. And so, Seraph can now have health insurance and remain a freelancer/independent contractor. She doesn’t have to choose between the two.

Back in March 2012, Seraph discussed the U.S.’ health insurance crisis during an interview with this website. The U.S. Supreme Court had been examining the constitutionality of the ACA; Seraph, who was uninsured at the time, was hoping that the High Court would uphold Obamacare and that she would finally be able to obtain health insurance on her own.

“I personally have been waiting for the Affordable Health Care plan to go into effect because I am considered an independent contractor, as are most adult performers—and as such, it is incredibly difficult to get a reasonable health insurance plan,” Seraph told this website. “I have a pre-existing condition that is manageable but excludes me from being accepted for an individual health plan. I have been told that my best option for getting into a health plan is to get a job with a company that has a group health care plan. But I like what I do, and don’t feel I should have to sacrifice my chosen career just to have access to affordable health care. I know many other adult performers who feel similarly, and have had similar struggles with the current systems that are in place and end up having to be uninsured.” 

About three months after that interview, the Supreme Court announced its decision: by a 5-4 majority, the Affordable Care Act was upheld. Surprisingly, the swing vote in favor of Obamacare turned out to be Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee. Obamacare was validated not only by the U.S.’ highest judicial body in June 2012, but also, by President Barack Obama’s reelection five months later.

In 2014, Republicans and the Tea Party continue to rail against the ACA—which is quite ironic in light of the fact that the law was greatly influenced by Republican ideas that Mitt Romney, the Heritage Foundation and former Sen. Bob Dole offered in the past.  Truth be told, Obamacare is essentially Romneycare on a national level. Republicans of the past, including the late President Richard Nixon, were strong proponents of health care reform. It’s quite possible that if the health care reform deal Nixon worked out with Sen. Ted Kennedy had not been derailed by the Watergate scandal of 1974, Seraph never would have had to deal with the health insurance industry’s “pre-existing condition” exclusion. The ideas that Nixon had in mind were, in fact, more far-reaching than the elements of Obamacare. How ironic that Nixon, who was considered an arch-conservative in his day, would be much too liberal for today’s unhinged, wingnut-plagued GOP.

The ACA is not a perfect piece of legislation by any means. It doesn’t go far enough. There is still much work to be done when it comes to reforming the U.S.’ horribly dysfunctional health care system. But the ACA is a small step in the direction of universal health care, and the fact that insurance companies can no longer exclude people with pre-existing conditions is a definite plus.

Congratulations to January Seraph for finally obtaining health insurance and becoming an Obamacare success story.

Alex Henderson  is a veteran journalist whose work has appeared in Salon.com, The L.A. Weekly, AlterNet, Billboard, Spin, XBIZ, Skin Two, Creem, The Pasadena Weekly, JazzTimes, Cash Box and a long list of other well-known publications. Follow him on Twitter @alexvhenderson.