First, everyone deserves to have health insurance, so let’s get that point out of the way upfront. Everyone knows this, but in recent years with job losses, companies canceling their health care coverage (en masse) and the cost of independent, private health care plans spiraling out of control, millions of people in the United States have been forced to drop their healthcare coverage in favor of just surviving. Many simply can no longer afford health insurance.
I happen to be one of those individuals who simply can no longer afford healthcare coverage. When I lived in Indiana, I maintained my medical and dental health through state issued health insurance for children and students. However, when I moved to New York City in 2012, my healthcare insurance coverage became null and void. Normally, individuals between 18 years of age and 28 years of age are considered the healthiest bracket for healthcare coverage and as such, most do not have to worry about a lapse in coverage. I, and many like me, do not have that luxury. Unfortunately, I live with a non-functioning thyroid, anemia and a compromised immune system (I’m immuno-compromised). Consequently, I believed that I could find a relatively affordable healthcare plan for the duration of my time in NYC at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, but my belief in affordable healthcare coverage in the city was short-lived.
As an alternative, I turned to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare, as it is more colloquially referred to. Despite my best efforts and wishes, the ACA also proved unhelpful and equally unaffordable. I thought that Obamacare was supposed to ensure and secure health insurance for all Americans, but that is hardly true. Kevin Mercadante states that according to Obamacare Facts, 16.4 million people have signed up for health insurance through the Obamacare health insurance exchanges through March 15, 2015. Close to 10 million of these sign-ups have obtained coverage through Medicaid while some 5.7 million represent 19-25-year-olds who have been able to stay on their parents policies as a result of changes in the healthcare law that were part of Obamacare.
That sounds great, right? But unfortunately, 33 million people are still uninsured or on the cusp of becoming uninsured according to Kevin Mercadante’s article, "What To Do If You Absolutely Can't Afford Health Insurance 2015." Additionally, unless you are near the often impossibly low poverty line for your state, most individuals are no better off than they were before, especially now that Obamacare enforces penalties for not having coverage. Ultimately, these requirements and subsequent penalties leave many people, like myself, worse off than we were before when we were simply uninsured.
So, what can I do as a college student who makes slightly above minimum wage and lives in one of the most expensive cities in the world? Well, for the majority of my four years in New York City, I have simply forgone medical treatment unless it was a definite emergency. The only problem with that approach is that as an immuno-compromised individual, a minor illness or injury for a traditionally healthy individual can land me in the hospital.
One of the alternatives that I have come to rely on in the absence of medical care is mini-clinics or free clinics. These have sprung up all over the place, in chain pharmacies and even in grocery stores. If you have not used them in the past, then you should if you have no health insurance coverage. I have used them at different times in the past, but most recently in December. I needed to go to a doctor, and I had no health insurance. I had been in a traffic accident and, as a result, suffered a pretty severe concussion. I developed headaches so severe that I couldn’t get out of bed. My symptoms impeded my ability to attend to school and go to work. Obviously, mini clinics won’t help in the case of a serious medical issue, but they are perfect for those routine doctor visits for colds, flu, ear infections and minor injuries. Fortunately for me, the clinic was able to provide medical documentation of my concussion and my resulting symptoms, so that when I finally could afford to see an actual doctor that the physician had a medical history to work with. Ultimately, the work of the free clinic saved me from enduring unnecessary testing or being subjected to unnecessary medication.
Inevitably, mini and free clinics are not a solution to not having health insurance coverage for long-term care. But, these clinics do provide quality care in the interim. Until I can afford health insurance or qualify for Obamacare or Medicare, I will be using the following remedies for my various injuries and illnesses:
