A Glimpse, and I Didn't Much Like It

All my life, I have had health insurance. My dad was a fire fighter for the City of Portland, so growing up I was covered under his policy. Then I got married, and Gerald's jobs have always provided basic health insurance. At times the coverage was better than at other times, but I always had insurance.

Until I didn't.

Last fall, Gerald took a voluntary severance package from his employer in Montana, so he could move to Utah where the rest of us were already living. When his job ended, so did our insurance. For the first time in my life, I was uninsured. I had a glimpse of what 50,000,000 Americans live with day after day, and I didn't much like it. I was scared all the time. I would lie awake at night, worrying about what would happen if one of us got into a serious car accident or developed a chronic illness. With the high cost of healthcare, it would mean financial ruin. We are fortunate for sure; we are all extremely healthy. None of us is under the regular care of  physician, and no one in our family takes any prescription medication. But what if we did? What if that suddenly changed? The stress of this situation practically consumed me. We are still providing the major support for four of our five children. What would we do if an unexpected medical emergency left us bankrupt?

Ultimately, Gerald's temporary seasonal job at Backcountry.com became a permanent, full time position, which provides benefits, but those benefits didn't begin until June 1st. That means for seven months, our family lived without insurance. No, it didn't affect us terribly, other than taking a toll on my mental health. We had to forgo our regular dental checkups. That was too bad, especially for Seth, who inherited his dad's bad teeth. I lived with a UTI for several weeks until it got so painful that I was forced to pay the $120 fee at the InstaCare plus $50 for the script, because I could no longer function. We were lucky compared to many. And I am grateful.

Shortly after Swen was born, Gerald and I went to the immunization clinic to get Tdap booster shots. With a newborn preemie in the house, we didn't want to risk exposing him to anything bad, especially whooping cough, which is making a comeback as more and more parents are opting to postpone or forgo their children's immunizations. As we registered at the front desk, the receptionist asked, "Do you have insurance?" My heart skipped a beat before I could answer. "Yes, yes we do," and I pulled out my brand new insurance card. Until that moment when I felt that utter relief, I don't think I fully realized the extent of my anxiety during those seven months we didn't have coverage.

Yesterday, as Gerald and I, along with Baby Swen, sat together watching CNN report the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Obamacare, I was elated. This is a monumental step forward for human rights. Thank you, President Obama, and thank you, to the five justices. Finally, a positive step to correct the atrocity of the healthcare system in this country. The Clintons tried for eight years to make progress but were shut down by the opposition at every turn. Now we go forward in faith that positive reform will continue. Because decent, affordable healthcare should not be a luxury of the rich. It is a basic human right of all. It's no secret that I am not fond of the politics of the presumed Republican presidential nominee, but he has one thing exactly right: If we want to protect and preserve the Affordable Healthcare Act, we MUST reelect the President. Here in Utah, my vote won't count at all, but those of you who live in states that could make a difference need to do all you possibly can for this cause.

I had a glimpse of what it feels like to be uninsured, and let me tell you what: I didn't much like it.