I can sleep again thanks to health reform
My son was born with a genetic disorder called Williams syndrome. His health care costs totaled $1 million before he turned two. The night the Affordable Care Act passed was the best night’s sleep I’d had since he was diagnosed. Shame on any presidential candidate who says he will repeal this act if elected. We [...]
Thanks to the ACA, my daughter is safe from losing coverage
Our daughter has Type 1 Diabetes. It’s a chronic, life threatening disease, and, before the Affordable Care Act, it excluded her from insurance coverage because it’s a preexisting condition. Having your child lose coverage is a serious and constant concern for parents like me. At diabetes support group gatherings, I’ve talked to countless parents who [...]
Kntting hats for babies: Why I’m grateful for the Affordable Care Act
My son, Cody, was 22 years old when his Crohn’s Disease became active. He was employed full-time in the public elementary school system as an aide to two boys with autism. The job offered no health insurance. He also worked part time at Panera Bread—another job offering no health insurance as it was part-time. He [...]
A lifetime limit on insurance would limit my daughter’s lifetime
I have paid for healthcare my entire life either through an employer or with an individual plan, and at the age 31 I gave birth to my first child. I was not overweight, didn’t drink or smoke and did everything my doctor said to do while pregnant. Our daughter was born with a rare and [...]
Now a beautiful grown woman, but still my baby girl – with a pre-existing heart condition
I am the mother of two girls. My daughter Jennifer is 27 years old and a third year law school student. My daughter Julie is 25 years old. Julie’s life has been filled with numerous road blocks. Julie had her first heart procedure at age 12 and the last 13 years have been filled with [...]
The Affordable Care Act Allows My Children to Invest in Their Future
Despite the fact that my husband and I both had jobs and were covered by private health insurance, our family’s credit history was damaged after I was in a car accident in 1998 and needed hip replacement surgery. We had to take drastic financial measures in order to pay for thousands of dollars in costs [...]
How much more pressure do families have to face?
Our 8-year old son has been battling a rare cancer called a sarcoma for over 4 years. Unfortunately, this disease will be treated as a chronic condition for the rest of his life. I was so grateful and relieved the night that health care reform was finally passed back in December of 2009. We personally [...]
Diagnosed with liver disease at 19, planning for my health coverage
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 [ ...]
Thanks to the ACA, our son is fully covered
I have a son with a pre-existing eye condition that requires surgeries. My husband and I are both self-employed and secure our own health insurance. After my son’s first eye surgery in 2008, our insurance company dropped us, simply saying they can no longer extend coverage to us. The next company we got a policy [...]
An Unusual First Four Years of Life
My son, Ethan, has had a very unusual first four years of life. Most of his first year was spent in and out of the hospital, receiving out-patient chemotherapy, three sclerotherapies, and intensive physical therapy - all due to a rare, non-cancerous (but very harmful) vascular tumor on his lower right leg. There was even talk of amputating his leg [...]
Health reform has given our family hope
Health reform has given our family hope during this difficult economic downturn. My husband and I have two adult children (a son and a daughter) who were both out of work for several years. Both of them are single parents with two children each. On two pensions and a Social Security check, we [...]
Getting health coverage for my unexpected pregnancy
When I was 25 years old, I was getting ready to begin law school. My husband and I moved from Portland to Eugene and I quit my job in Portland, which had provided health insurance. When I moved to Eugene and before law school started, I worked full-time for a temporary agency doing administrative work. [...]
The Affordable Care Act has helped me get necessary preventive care
The Affordable Care Act has helped me and millions of others, get the preventive care they need. I recently turned 50 and went for my annual physical. My doctor recommended that I make an appointment for a colonoscopy. I did that, and on the day of the appointment was shocked that I was going [...]
The Affordable Care Act has impacted me — and my employer
Since the Affordable Care Act passed, I have had a mammogram which was paid in full by my insurance. The last mammogram I had, my insurance company paid just $12.00, and I had to pay the rest. I think it was around $200 – I saved the bill because I couldn’t believe they could get [...]
Green Eggs and Pink Slime
Will you eat them here or there? We all love Sam-I-Am’s rhythmic attempt to encourage others to eat strange green food. And when the green eggs are finally eaten, it’s hilarious! But moms and dads aren’t laughing about feeling trapped in a storybook where it’s Uncle Sam who is endorsing a food that we do not want [...]
Is there lead in your necklace?
Most of us Moms wear jewelry, not necessarily fancy, diamond studded jewelry, just everyday jewelry that brightens up our look a bit. We aren’t surprised when our jewelry ends up in our kids’ mouths every once in a while. Most babies think necklaces make excellent teethers! But, what happens if that impromptu teether (ie necklace) [...]