I often read stories about how ACA saved someone's life. There was a good one on Kos today about a conservative who found that his heart condition would be covered thanks to ACA.
I guess my story isn't as dramatic... but it probably lines up with a lot more people. I received back the results from my 'yearly checkup' which is now FREE under ACA.
So, what did I learn?
Well, I hadn't had a yearly physical in some time. It wasn't that I didn't have insurance (I did) it wasn't that the price was high - on insurance my copay would have been $40 before - no, it was just that I couldn't justify spending the $40 when I largely felt 'OK'.
Damnit, though, age is catching up on me. I still think of myself as a kid at mersh mersh near 40, but I recognize that I don't drop weight as easy and that I don't have the energy I did as a kid.
But the last year I've had a few issues I actually worried about.. a small lump here, I didn't sleep as well and I put on 15 pounds, damnit.
So, I was a bit worried and decided a checkup was a good idea.
Today, I received my results.. blood work and all. While my weight isn't great (I'm 5'9, 174) It's not horrible, and my bloodwork was generally positive. (I had a 145 LDL Cholesterol score which isn't 'great' but isn't 'bad' either)
Why do I write about this here on Kos today? Because this is the kind of thing that more Americans will experience thanks to ADA. A standard checkup that can relieve a lot of worry.
Getting off the phone with my GP to know that my health was generally good is a nice relief for the day. Now, millions of Americans can get that same phone call and find out that things are "OK". Without it costing them a penny.
And if there are problems? They can find out without a big expense.