Disabled Texans worry loss of Affordable Care Act could cost them programs that help them live independently Texas Tribune Updated: Tags: , our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Laura Halvorson relies on two 24-hour breathing machines to keep her alive. The machines cost $2,000 per month. They’re paid for through her insurance from the Affordable Care Act. Halvorson, who is 36 and lives in San Antonio, has muscular dystrophy, a disease that causes progressive loss of muscle mass. For years, Halvorson was a teacher in North Texas and receiv...