I have been spoiled with good health insurance for the past seven years. I work for a large healthcare organization here in California. We’re unionized and have excellent benefits. Oh, how I love and appreciate my job. Even though I’m but a “lowly” medical assistant, my health insurance is better than John’s. And he works in upper management for a big corporation in the financial district!
But I didn’t always have good insurance. When I was 19, working and going to school part time, I had no insurance at all. I tried to purchase insurance privately, but I was denied by several insurance companies because of my preexisting condition: asthma. I ended up having zero insurance for almost three years. Without preventive inhalers to keep me afloat, my asthma went haywire and landed me in the emergency room on multiple occasions. It was a mess, and my personal finances haven’t been the same since.
[Steps for Living: Health Insurance]
Believe it or not, when I became pregnant with Kevin, my oldest child, I was again denied insurance because my pregnancy was considered a preexisting condition. Thank goodness John’s employer at the time allowed him to add me onto his insurance. I shudder at the thought of having zero insurance while pregnant.
Healthcare Profession Equals Better Health Insurance
Aside from being inspired to help people, I entered the healthcare profession because I knew it would be a surefire way to get good insurance. Working in healthcare meant I would never have to worry about job stability, crappy insurance or outlandish “package deals” from employers trying to save a buck. At first, good insurance was only important for my own health conditions, but after Niki was born, I really realized how lucky we were.
I know our family has been spoiled. So far (knock on wood), the hardest insurance issue I’ve dealt with was getting Niki a dental appointment. I had to fill out loads of paperwork and wait weeks for referrals and treatment approvals—all for her tiny mouth! I can only imagine how incredibly stressful it must be for people who deal with medical insurance issues frequently. I’ve heard so many horror stories about things families in our community have to endure. And don’t even get me started on all the heartbreaking stories I’ve read about bleeders in underdeveloped countries. Thank goodness for Project Share!
Even though healthcare reform is under way, I still feel uneasy about my children’s future. Maybe I was traumatized by my own experiences, but I often worry about what my children will do about insurance once they’re too old to be under my coverage. Will they face the same difficulties I did?
Saying Goodbye to School
Last fall, I had to stop attending school in order to keep my health insurance. It absolutely broke my heart, because I worked so hard to get there. For years, I took night classes three or four days a week and worked full time to earn my associate degree. In that time, I also completed the prerequisite course for a very competitive healthcare program here in the Bay Area. There were close to 150 applicants, and I earned one of the 11 slots available for the night program. The school offered a loan that was 100% forgivable, as long as I completed the 27-month program and agreed to work for the healthcare organization once I graduated.
I started the program while working full time. My employer has a paid educational leave benefit, but eventually I couldn’t obtain enough leave to make things work out. It still wasn’t enough with all the commuting I had to do. I would risk losing my job if I used too much of my educational leave.
Although I realize it’s my “fault” that I’ve had to do things out of sequence, I still don’t think it’s fair. John has excellent health insurance–for healthy people. His co-pay for a 30-day supply of medication is 20%, and paying the co-pay for Niki’s prophy was going to be well out of our means. So, switching to an on-call position (and losing my benefits) to go to school simply wasn’t an option.
Just a week or so ago, I was having a mini-discussion with a friend on Facebook—a veteran HemoMom—about my desire for Niki to be a doctor when she grows up. I really do hope I’m raising a future hematologist! Or, at the very least, some future lotto winners. All joking aside, my greatest fantasy is that my children won’t ever have to face the struggles I’ve faced. I hope they will be blessed with access to a sound education, satisfying careers, lots of money and, of course, good insurance.
Read more about Tiffany's life at The Art of Lion Taming.