By Karen
My husband and I live in Salida, CO and have now been without insurance for two and a half years. We have been going to a clinic where you pay what you can afford- Thank goodness this has kept us away from emergency rooms and unpredictable medical bills.
But a few months back the doctor at the clinic felt I should get a treadmill test- to measure my heart rate and blood pressure. Following the test, I found myself at a cardiologist office where the doctor wanted to perform a heart catheter procedure. They found a blockage of approximately 40% in one of the main arteries. Luckily, I did not have to have surgery, but the doctors gave me medicine that I will be taking for a while.
Of course, this now puts me into the pre-existing illness category. Now more than ever, I need insurance to get the care I need when I need it. With limited income, my husband and I couldn’t imagine paying for any insurance. And then we heard about the Colorado marketplace.
The staff at the clinic told us about Connect for Health Colorado, and we made an appointment with Shantel, a health coverage guide in our community. She sat down with us and helped us complete the application process. Soon we discovered the financial assistance we are eligible for which meant we could afford insurance. We were delighted and are now shopping and deciding on the best plan for us. Having insurance means I won’t have to worry about paying for my medicine out of pocket. We’ve had a few problems with the website, but we are working through them and should be able to decide on a plan real soon.