Skip to main content

Diagnosed with liver disease at 19, planning for my health coverage

March 15, 2012
Bonnie Brueggemann's picture
Bonnie Brueggemann
Add your voice to the comments

When I was 19 years old, I was diagnosed with liver disease.  It was caused by a birth defect.  After having major surgery, I have been fine but need regular  monitoring by liver specialists to maintain my health.

I am 23 years old now and am lucky enough to be covered by my parents' insurance for a while longer.

Since I have a preexisting condition, it is likely that I could be turned down for insurance when I need to seek coverage for myself.  Who would want to cover a 26-year-old with cirrhosis?

I need health reform to move forward.  Liver disease never disappears, and health insurance is of the utmost importance to me.

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of MomsRising.org.

MomsRising.org strongly encourages our readers to post comments in response to blog posts. We value diversity of opinions and perspectives. Our goals for this space are to be educational, thought-provoking, and respectful. So we actively moderate comments and we reserve the right to edit or remove comments that undermine these goals. Thanks!