I'm a "victim of Obamacare"
It was the winter 2012. I noticed I was having trouble with my balance. I couldn't walk in a straight line. I was literally bouncing off walls. I didn't have insurance and didn't have a lot of money to pay for doctors. I was about to go through the health system.
I started at a clinic run by a Jewish charity group. After a few months, they hooked me up with a neurologist. He started testing and was making progress towards finding out what was wrong. Then, he had a stroke. He was the clinics only neurologist. I was back to square one.
A case worker at the clinic asked me why I didn't have insurance through the Affordable Care Act...yanno...Obamacare. I told her I didn't think I could afford it. She said let's try because the worst that could happen is I'd get turned down. The case manager walked me through the application process. It was fairly painless. All that was left was the waiting. It didn't take long and I was approved for a Medicaid program through the ACA.
Soon I had a real primary care physician. I had access to specialists. They hooked me up with a new Neurologist. I soon started testing again for those balance issues. Although it was frustrating that we were starting from scratch again, at least we were moving forward. The results weren't what anyone would like, Parkinson's Disease, but at least we knew. A plan was made on how to deal with it and live the best life possible.
That was the first time I was a "Victim of Obamacare."
It was the winter of 2015. My life with Parkinson's is under control. After a shower, I check in the bathroom mirror and see this strange looking mole on my upper back. I see my primary physician to see if it's anything and he hooks me up with a Dermatologist...both paid for through my insurance plan under the ACA. He does a biopsy and a week later the results are back. Melanoma. Cancer.
He set me up with a surgeon and a couple of weeks later the procedure to remove the Melanoma was done. Cancer free. Again paid for by my insurance plan under the ACA.
Once more, I was a "Victim of Obamacare."
Without Obamacare, I would have had to go to a county health facility to diagnose Parkinson's Disease. Based upon what I've heard from others, that process would have taken more than a year. Chances are I would have survived, unless I had a disastrous fall. The Melanoma is another story. My case was stage one when it was removed but what if it had taken a year to get to a surgeon in the county program? Who knows how much it would have spread?
I like to say "Obamacare saved my life" and I know that may be hyperbole but maybe not. I'm just glad I didn't have to find out.
On Monday, our President brought out a group of people he called the real "Victims of Obamacare." Yes, I understand that there are a lot of people that have insurance problems because of the ACA. Premiums and deductibles are up and a lot of middle class workers are priced out. And yes, I have compassion for them and would like to see the changes made so it would work for them like it's worked for me. But like me, more than twenty million people who didn't have access to insurance, now are insured because of Obamacare.
Yep, all of them are "Victims of Obamacare."
Related Post: The Freedom Caucus Saved Obamacare.
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