Do you find yourself needing health insurance when the Annual Enrollment Period is closed? You may still be able to get subsidized coverage during the ACA Special Enrollment Period! Learn how at: https://www.wnchealthinsurance.com/special-enrollment-period-information-hub/
I want to share a little story about myself that maybe some of you can relate to.
Almost 2 years ago I had a completely unscheduled and unplanned illness that wiped me out physically and financially. It was while the world was about 6 months into the pandemic and I thought maybe the things going on with me were pandemic related. I went to the doctor and it wasn't. It was serious and puzzling, at first.
Over the course of 3 months, I was at the doctor 12 times and that’s not including a cardiologist and ENT specialists, and recommended infectious disease doctor. I had to have scans on my abdomen, chest, EKG scans on my right leg, and scans of my face. I wasn't getting any better, I was scared for my life, and I ended up spending every penny we had on medical bills to be completely honest, I'm still paying some of it off because I had to put it on credit cards.
I was not prepared for an event like this, I don't think anyone could be. After lots of testing, I found out I have Lyme Disease. Trying to find out which antibiotic treatment was good for me, I went through 6 rounds of antibiotics. The first choice in treatment I found out was allergic to, the rest were all hoping to get rid of the Lyme Disease. On top of the Lyme and antibiotic treatment, I had oral thrush that needed a few rounds of treatment. It was a miserable time for me.
Unfortunately, it didn't work. Even though I acted fast and the treatments were aggressive, the Lyme is still with me and is now Chronic Lyme Disease. I am still dealing with antibiotic treatments and waves of oral thrush along with severe body pain.
It was sad and scary! I applied for Medicaid, I was denied because we didn't meet the income requirements and my bills weren’t high enough to claim because I had to prepay for services or not get them. For me to qualify for medical help we had to have a combined monthly income lower than $600.
What I didn't know is that I would have been able to get REAL insurance. I did eventually but it wasn't until open enrollment came around, 6 months later. All of our money was spent and credit cards were maxed out. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get any more care I might need and was so relieved when I was fina;;y able to get insurance.
At the time, I had no idea I was able to sign up without open enrollment. What I know now, and tell everyone that will listen, with any life-changing event, you can sign up. What that means is, I didn't have to wait for open enrollment as long as I met the life-changing circumstances, which I did at the time!
Almost 2 years ago I had a completely unscheduled and unplanned illness that wiped me out physically and financially. It was while the world was about 6 months into the pandemic and I thought maybe the things going on with me were pandemic related. I went to the doctor and it wasn't. It was serious and puzzling, at first.
Over the course of 3 months, I was at the doctor 12 times and that’s not including a cardiologist and ENT specialists, and recommended infectious disease doctor. I had to have scans on my abdomen, chest, EKG scans on my right leg, and scans of my face. I wasn't getting any better, I was scared for my life, and I ended up spending every penny we had on medical bills to be completely honest, I'm still paying some of it off because I had to put it on credit cards.
I was not prepared for an event like this, I don't think anyone could be. After lots of testing, I found out I have Lyme Disease. Trying to find out which antibiotic treatment was good for me, I went through 6 rounds of antibiotics. The first choice in treatment I found out was allergic to, the rest were all hoping to get rid of the Lyme Disease. On top of the Lyme and antibiotic treatment, I had oral thrush that needed a few rounds of treatment. It was a miserable time for me.
Unfortunately, it didn't work. Even though I acted fast and the treatments were aggressive, the Lyme is still with me and is now Chronic Lyme Disease. I am still dealing with antibiotic treatments and waves of oral thrush along with severe body pain.
It was sad and scary! I applied for Medicaid, I was denied because we didn't meet the income requirements and my bills weren’t high enough to claim because I had to prepay for services or not get them. For me to qualify for medical help we had to have a combined monthly income lower than $600.
What I didn't know is that I would have been able to get REAL insurance. I did eventually but it wasn't until open enrollment came around, 6 months later. All of our money was spent and credit cards were maxed out. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get any more care I might need and was so relieved when I was fina;;y able to get insurance.
At the time, I had no idea I was able to sign up without open enrollment. What I know now, and tell everyone that will listen, with any life-changing event, you can sign up. What that means is, I didn't have to wait for open enrollment as long as I met the life-changing circumstances, which I did at the time!
Life changes can be moving, getting married, change of job, no longer having insurance coverage through a job, being disqualified from Medicaid, or any of the other changes listed on the site.
It's awesome having insurance and knowing I can afford to get the checkups that I need. Also, prevention is key to a healthy life and it's covered 100% by most plans. I'm going in for a FREE mammogram next week! Who doesn’t love free healthcare perks?!
There are so many options for healthcare coverage with different providers and plans. You would not believe the discounts that are available. You can check out and compare deductibles and coverages, compare monthly payments.
I know every case is different, you just need to sign up to see what’s available. My premium is $96 every month but with the discounts available, I only pay $15.
If you are in North Carolina and need insurance, you can get it. Just think about it like this, if I needed to go to the doctor there was an average cost of $105 per visit plus any prescriptions I may need, that's easy $200 out of pocket. For me having insurance now, It's $15 per month, $5 per office visit, $4 per prescription. That's a comparison of $200 to $24. For the first time in my adult life, I can afford to take care of myself if I am sick!
I want to be the voice people will listen to because, for years, I was untreated because I thought I couldn't afford insurance. For emergencies, I was in a never-ending hole of medical payments because I had to put everything on a credit card if I had that option available.
YOU DON"T HAVE TO PUT YOUR HEALTH ON THE BACK BURNER!!
You can afford and deserve to have medical insurance at a rate that is affordable! You deserve free preventative medical screenings. Your FAMILY deserves a healthy you.
You can afford and deserve to have medical insurance at a rate that is affordable! You deserve free preventative medical screenings. Your FAMILY deserves a healthy you.
My biggest motivation to make sure I could get medical coverage was my family. I don't want to think of my kids having to grow up without me because I didn't have the medical coverage I needed. I want to make sure I can stay healthy and get the treatment I need in the even I am not healthy. Once you see the options available you will completely understand what I am saying.
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