#CoverageMatters: Faith, Purpose and the ACA Helped Save My Life

I don’t think anyone ever really thinks that they’ll be a cancer patient, let alone a cancer survivor. I think I got through cancer by having a positive attitude, a faith in God, and knowing that whatever I went through had a purpose. The Affordable Care Act also played a large role in saving my life, by assuring that I had access to health care.

During my senior year of college, I went to the ER for a pain in my chest. The doctor said I had pneumonia and gave me some antibiotics, so I went about my business. But a couple of months after graduation, I returned home to Texas and to the ER with a pain in my side. Further testing showed that my lymph nodes were enlarged. From there I went to my primary care physician and a bunch of other specialists and a few months after that I was officially diagnosed with Hodgins Lymphoma. Since my diagnosis at 22, I’ve gone through numerous chemotherapy regimens, PET scans, a bone marrow transplant and a couple of surgeries to remove a tumor.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, I was able to remain on my parents’ health plan. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to afford the treatment I needed. One of the chemo treatments alone cost more than $35,000.

I’ve also benefited from the Affordable Care Act’s protections barring annual and lifetime dollar limits on treatment. My care has easily surpassed $1 million. And it’s very important for me to maintain my care. Just because I’m in remission doesn’t mean I’m no longer a cancer patient; there’s a lot of upkeep that comes with being a cancer survivor, like getting scans and seeing oncologists.

I’m pretty concerned that some of the protections that the Affordable Care Act provides me and so many others may be taken away. I need my coverage in order to stay healthy. The possibility of being denied coverage in the future because I have a pre-existing condition worries me.

But the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land now, and I urge young people especially to get covered. In your 20’s, you feel invincible – like nothing can stop you. But you just never know what can happen. Coverage was there for me when I needed it, and it can be there for you, too.

You can now enroll in your own coverage for 2017. Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace goes until January 31, 2017, but if you want your coverage to start on January 1, 2017, you have to sign up by December 15.

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.

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

I started a blog about my experiences to help young cancer patients, who now come to me for advice and moral support. I want them to know that things are looking good for me. I’ve been in remission for almost two years. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, I was able to get the care I needed. I have a future.