On Friday, it will have been two years since we passed health care reform. 2.5 million young adults have gained coverage since that point, among other benefits like free preventive care. In celebration, we share with you a story of a young woman who, over the last two years, has spoken up consistently about the benefits of the new health care law for young Americans – Isbah Raja. Find out more about how to get health insurance, how to join your parent’s plan, and what the new law means for you atwww.GettingCovered.org.
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When Isbah Raja was 18 years old, she started to have symptoms of fatigue, making it hard to concentrate or complete her school work. In the same year, her father transferred jobs, and her family had to find private insurance coverage. However, when her parent’s tried to sign her up, the new insurance company denied her coverage based on my history of fatigue. She was left with no options, so she limited my visits to the doctor and hoped that her health wouldn’t get worse. She went uninsured. A year later, she began losing weight uncontrollably and an entire constellation of symptoms sprang up. She visited a Rheumatologist who diagnosed her with Lupus. Lupus is a chronic auto-immune disease that can result in joint pain, hair loss, loss of appetite, and much worse if untreated. At the time, her father transferred jobs where he would be provided with health insurance from his company.
Unfortunately, the insurer again denied her coverage for her pre-existing condition. Her parents, who already pay for her college education, would now have to cover all her medical bills as well. In order to reduce costs, She bought generic drugs, instead of the prescription brand she was supposed to take, and she limited my visits to the doctor as much as possible. The stress of living with a serious medical condition, being a student, and worrying about finances was an experience that she hope to never face again.
Fortunately, her family kept fighting and her father’s employer coverage eventually did cover her. And thanks to the new health care law, her coverage won’t just terminate when she graduates. She will be able to maintain her insurance up to age 26, even as she pursues a career. She can visit her specialist whenever she needs to without paying outrageous medical bills, she can get regular blood tests to make sure that her Lupus hasn’t progressed to her organs, and she can buy brand name prescriptions without financially straining my parents. And if she has to leave her father’s plan, or he changes jobs again, she knows that an insurance company will no longer be able to deny me because of my pre-existing condition. Her 15-year old sister, who was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, can also not be denied coverage because of her pre-existing condition.
The new law has not only given her the freedom to stay covered, but it has also freed her family from the fear that an insurer could drop me at any moment, or force her to limit or go without treatment. Having seen the impact of the new law, she has become an advocate for health care reform within her community. She has participated in local events discussing her story, and she has worked with Young Invincibles to raise awareness about health care reform at the UT campus.