Health insurance. Ew, right? Totally. Health insurance is WHACK. Why you gotta know about health insurance right now?
Mkay, I’m done with that. How was it, though? The lingo? Did I appeal to any of you younger folk, or am I just making an ass out of myself. Don’t say “ass.” That’s a bad word. Okay, moving on…
Seriously, though, health insurance. It’s important. Why? Well, medication is expensive. Very expensive. And if you’re sick, you’re gonna need that medication. How the heck are you supposed to pay for it then? I bet you already know the answer. Dollah dollah bills, ya’ll!—which comes from your health insurance company.
God forbid my insurance company ever find this article…
If you’re still under your parents’ roof, you’re probably wondering why you’d need to concern yourself with this “health insurance quackery.” Well, here’s the thing: If you aren’t living with a rare disease, don’t worry yourself over insurance YET. (One day, you’ll have to worry about it, so you might as well keep reading this article.)
But if you’re a teen living with a rare disease, like a primary immunodeficiency disorder, chances are you’re going to need to expedite your education on health insurance.
Because all those medications you take just to make it through the day—that’s all paid for by your friendly neighborhood health insurance company. Depending on your insurer, they usually aren’t that friendly. Nobody LIKES dealing with their insurance company, but we’d be up a creek without a paddle if they weren’t around—so we make it work. Besides, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you HAVE to have insurance, so… there you go. If you can’t beat ’em…
Listen, no one can pay for their medications out of pocket, unless you’re, I don’t know, Donald Trump.
So, being that you’re not Donald Trump, you’ve got to declare your loyalty to an insurer and learn about what they do. Every surgery, every hospitalization, every penny dropped on medications is covered by your health insurance company.
Under the ACA, you can stay under your parents’ insurance plan until you’re 26, so make sure to stay on their good side. If you’ve had a falling out though, there are services in place to help young people like you get health insurance. Ask Obama—he’ll tell you all about it. Or just click here to learn more from the Immune Deficiency Foundation’s website. Seriously, there’s really good info there.
If you have questions about health insurance, don’t be afraid to ask your parents. They’ve been right where you are, and they had to learn just as you’ll have to.
It comes down to this: In order to receive suitable healthcare, you’ve got to have the money, and in order to have the money, you’ve got to rely on your health insurers. Simple as that.
Good luck!
