Affordable Coverage Lets Me Take Care of Myself and Others

Affordable Coverage Lets Me Take Care of Myself and Others

May 19, 2016

By: Nathan Auldridge, Salem, Virginia

I filled my narcolepsy prescription the other day and got a dose of great news.
In 2013, I paid $1,023 for a one month refill of this medication. But this year, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the same quantity of the same medication cost me just $2.05.
What that means is no more racking up insane credit card debt for medical expenses. No more asking my landlady if I can slide on the rent this month. And no more trying to make a one-month prescription stretch for almost two months!
The costs of my health care coverage have dramatically decreased since I was able to get insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace. This is because of the income-based tax credits I receive that bring down the cost of my monthly premiums. And the health care law includes protections that bar insurers from discriminating against me because of my pre-existing conditions.

When I was a senior in college, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor and had to undergo a craniotomy and six weeks of radiation. The treatments were successful and I was declared cancer-free in 2006. But as a cancer survivor, I faced new health struggles, including the development of narcolepsy.
Suddenly I was very difficult to insure.
I work with special needs adults—a job I’m passionate about—but it doesn’t come with health coverage. In 2013, I found a plan on the private market for $483 a month, but even with insurance, my prescriptions and medical expenses cost me more than half of my yearly income of $20,000.
I never could have survived without help from my family. Not everyone is as fortunate as I was. But now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, we can support ourselves and meet our own needs.
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