So I'm not here to solicit in any way. Solicitation here is not allowed, so I'm not here to do so. I have no desire to ask for anything from anyone here. But I do talk about some difficulties that being uninsured has caused. If this post is not allowed, I will gladly delete it.

Long story short is that I was born with tons of incurable health issues, and despite my best efforts, I can't work. So I applied for disability, but wasn't able to build my case without health insurance (or an income), which would enable me to see doctors and build said case. but I've never been able to get health insurance as an adult, and it led to a 13-year catch-22 situation. I can't work, so I can't get health insurance or an income, so I need disability. But I can't get disability without going to the doctor and amassing evidence. But I can't go to the doctor and amass evidence because I can't get health insurance or an income . . . which I need to see a doctor and get disability. Also remember that my state chose not to expand Medicaid, and in order to receive it in my state, you have to A) Win your disability case, B) Be totally blind, or C) Be pregnant. And yep, I had friends tell me that I'd get all the help I need if I got pregnant. But why contribute to a stereotype? Why solve one problem by creating another? I refused to do it. So I struggled through the problem for well over a decade. It has caused me to stare homelessness in the face, go hungry, go without running water, go without heat, and to feel unsafe countless times.

Then, last week, a friend tagged me on a social media post from the local news. The post was basically asking to hear from those who have to pay for their medical expenses out of pocket. The news caster who posted it saw that my friend tagged me, and she messaged me herself. That led to me being interviewed on the news. The segment aired that night at 6:00 PM.

That night, around 9 PM, I got a friend request from a person I had never met before. So I politely asked who this person was. She explained that she was an insurance broker for The Health Insurance Marketplace (colloquially known as "ObamaCare"), and that she has helped many people in the exact same situation as me.

I called her the next day, and she walked me through the exact steps to take on the online application that would get me the help I needed. She then helped me upload the appropriate document, and that was that! For the first time over in 13 years, I have health insurance!!

And it's not just bare bones insurance, either. I have no deductible, free generics, $5 specialist visits, and more. The plan is called "Ambetter Balanced Care 11 (2021)." Not many doctors accept Ambetter, but I'm more than willing to face that obstacle head-on.

It's a new day for me. I'm so excited!! I did it!