Health Care Stories: Are You 'Lucky' Enough to Afford Coverage?

Simply put, our current healthcare system is too expensive for most Americans and does not provide access to all the necessary care Americans need because they simply can’t afford it.  Even for the HIV positive individuals who are lucky enough to have insurance coverage, the costs associated with their plans are often discriminatively high because of the varied treatments necessary for any HIV-related illnesses, and many individuals like Jeremy are forced to go without necessary treatments like physical therapy or mental health because of the high co-pays.  Health reform would limit out-of-pocket costs for people like Jeremy to an affordable percentage of income, and provide subsidies to people with limited incomes.  Americans should not have to rely on expensive, inconsistent, and discriminatory private healthcare coverage.  The only healthcare reform that will address this crisis is offering a public option that is affordable, high-quality, and available to any American, regardless of pre-existing conditions.

“I have been living with HIV since 2002.  I spent most of 2003 unemployed and the COBRA payments were outrageous, to the point where I needed every penny on my unemployment checks to make basic payments of rent, COBRA, food, and utilities.  I spent several years paying back taxes on my unemployment checks when I did find work again because I could not afford to take taxes out at the time.  Today, I have what would be considered ‘good insurance’ with a good living wage.  I am not on Medicare.  Nevertheless, I spent $1,500 every year on deductibles and those costs are usually incurred within the first quarter of the year.  My job is very stressful and I have also been diagnosed with Type II Bipolar Disorder.  Mental health therapy would be useful, but it is something I can rarely afford due to the co-pays.  Physical therapy/chiropractic would also be helpful for long-term back issues, but I also don’t have easy access to these due to high co-pays.  I also worry about losing my job due to the shaky economy and recognize that I am only a couple paychecks away from homelessness, no medical coverage, and being unable to manage my conditions as well as I have been.” 

Jeremy, OR 

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*Please note that actual names have been changed to protect individual's confidentiality.  Media interested in interviewing HIV-positive people about health-coverage issues should contact AFC Communications Director Johnathon Briggs at jbriggs@aidschicago or 312-334-0922.