I was without health insurance for most of my twenties. I worked as an independent contractor for a small, woman-owned company that unfortunately, like so many small businesses, didn’t offer health insurance.  Overall, I was very lucky in the sense that I did not have any major medical emergencies and was fairly healthy overall.  Despite being in good health, being uninsured meant forgoing annual preventative health exams and many times was forced to ask friends if they had left over antibiotics for when I would get the occasional sinus infection.  While I was able to “manage,” no one should have to make these decisions. What if I had been allergic to one of those antibiotics? Or what if I’d had an accident? Luck helped me—well at least for most of the ten years.

There was one time that I was sick and had to see a specialist.  The result was a bill that was so expensive I couldn't afford to pay it in one lump sum.  I had to make monthly payments to him for years before finally settling the bill.  Again, I was lucky a doctor would let me make these monthly payments for years, but it shouldn’t have even come to that—I should have never been in danger of going into debt because of one, only one, instance of needing medical attention in ten years.

What no one really talks about is the shaming that’s always been part of being uninsured in our society. I often found myself feeling embarrassed and ashamed whenever I would have to go to the doctor or an urgent care clinic to tell them that I did not have health insurance.  Thankfully, a friend of mine encouraged me to go to Planned Parenthood and I have to say that I had a really great experience there.  The doctor I went to was very sympathetic and took the time to listen to me without the comments or looks that with other doctor had made me feel uncomfortable.

I’m now happy to say that I work for a large corporation that provides great health insurance, but I haven’t forgotten the years I spent worrying and hoping things would turn out okay. I have friends, many of whom are single parents, who simply can't afford to provide health care coverage for their families.  It saddens me when I hear these stories and know this is why health reform is so important. The Affordable Care Act will allow my friends and other young adults, who may now be in the position I once was in, have options for new, affordable healthcare so they don’t have to depend on the luck the way I did.