#CoverageMatters: Getting Good Care for My Physical and Mental Health

In 2013, I got my first assignment for my school newspaper as a photo-journalist at the Boston Marathon. For a few moments, I left my assigned spot to get a coffee with a friend. Then the bombs went off. My assigned spot was rubble. I saw the horror of blood and body parts. Flashbacks and physical distress forced me to eventually leave school.

I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression for many years. It’s even taken a toll on my physical health. After many misdiagnoses, I finally learned that I am living with leukopenia, a decrease in the disease-fighting cells in my blood.

With my post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and physical problems, no coverage was not an option. My mother told me about the Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov, and we found a plan that was perfect for me.

I hadn’t realized that the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 requires insurers to provide the same level of coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatment that they do for medical care. This means they can’t charge higher copays or enforce stricter treatment limits for my mental health care.

The Affordable Care Act strengthened these protections by including mental health care and substance abuse treatment among the essential health benefits that all plans sold on the Marketplace must cover.

My Marketplace plan for 2016 cost only $31 a month after financial assistance and covered 100 percent of what I need: prescriptions, neuropsychologist visits and other specialists. My deductible was $500. My premium for 2017 is only a few dollars more.

Being covered means the world to me. It means I got my life back. I actually have hope again, and I can start my journey of bettering myself, mentally and physically.

A specialist linked my leukopenia and panic attacks to my anxiety, PTSD, depression and ADHD. The doctor started me on a coordinated program of therapy and medications. Now I can go to the mall with my mom and not get overwhelmed by the crowds. I can pursue my freelance career of photography and cinematography while I also freelance as a social media consultant for a magazine and work as an assistant in a hospital.

I can’t imagine going back to a time without the Affordable Care Act. I can’t imagine not having affordable insurance that covers my mental health and physical health.

But the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land now, and I urge everyone to get covered and get the care they need.

You can now enroll in your own coverage for 2017. Open Enrollment for the Marketplace goes until January 31, 2017.

Check out your options for affordable, quality coverage at HealthCare.gov. Financial assistance may be available to help you get covered. And you can get 24/7 help comparing plans and enrolling in coverage by calling 1-800-318-2596 or finding in-person assistance in your community at https://localhelp.healthcare.gov.

There’s also a new Mental Health and Addiction Insurance Help Website that provides a one-stop shop for behavioral health insurance help, whether you have a Marketplace plan, insurance provided by your employer, or other coverage. The website can connect you with resources to help you understand your insurance benefits, submit a complaint, or if necessary, file an appeal.

I’m sharing my story because my #CoverageMatters, just as it does for millions of other Americans. Share your story on social media using #CoverageMatters and #InsuranceParity.