I Turned 26 and Am Now One of the Millions of Uninsured Americans

Getting older sucks for a variety of reasons, but the one that stings most for me is losing my healthcare. This year I turned 26 and was booted off my parent's insurance plan. In the weeks before my birthday, I packed in every medical visit I could get from my dentist to general practitioner to make sure I had a clean bill of health before embarking on my uninsured journey. It still left me and my general health in an uncertain position.

I'm privileged, to an extent, I work for a company that offered to cover health insurance even though I'm not a full-time employee. Freelance workers, like myself, are eligible for coverage after working for a consecutive 90-day period. When I first started I wasn't concerned about healthcare since I was insured under my parent's plan. My financial situation is tight, so I opted out of the company's insurance policy and chose to keep my parent's care, which is an increasing trend for our generation. Even after I passed my 90-day mark, it was more important for me to pocket that money than to have part of my check garnished for insurance cost.

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, the federal government extended the policy for healthcare dependents. This required businesses to have employer-sponsored health plans where children could be covered under their parent's insurance until the age of 26. In 2010, prior to this ACA provision, a third of Americans between the ages of 19 to 29 were uninsured, which roughly equates to 13 million people.

Then there are those like me, who are in a healthcare limbo: too old to be covered under our parents and still too economically disenfranchised to insure ourselves. What are we to do when we need medical attention but don't have the means to afford it? When it comes to healthcare, there are other factors at play besides our age or our income.

Race, gender identity, and sex can compound systems of inequality when it comes to receiving healthcare. As a gay black man, my race and sexuality are inextricably connected to my relationship with my healthcare providers. According to a CDC report from 2016, one in two black men will contract HIV in their lifetimes. Currently, I take steps in preventative care that keep me from contracting HIV should I ever be exposed to the virus, aka PrEP , but that requires access to affordable care.

Unsurprisingly, I'm not the only one struggling with this issue. Carlita Caliente is a pansexual, Latinx , femme living in Washington D.C who just turned 27. She has several lines of work but her primary jobs are as a yoga instructor, performance artist and bartender none of which provide her with health insurance.

"I lived for about a year without any kind of health insurance," Caliente told VICE Impact in an email interview. "Just this last spring I got approved for insurance through DC Health Link, which is a DC-based healthcare exchange program in accordance with the ACA."

Caliente is one of 3.1 million young Americans who would have been uninsured, but now have healthcare because of the ACA. But, the needle could move backward on this key issue.

In May of this year, House Republicans spearheaded the repeal of the ACA, which would put the health of millions of Americans in jeopardy. The repeal of the ACA hasn't happened in the Senate yet, and there are some GOP congress members that agree with parts about insuring dependents until the age of 26, including President Trump.

Still, the state of healthcare for young people remains foggy.

Caliente says the GOP's countermeasure against the ACA feels like an assault. "I'm feeling even more attacked by our current policy makers; mentally, it is very hard to face the fact that as a queer, brown, working-poor woman, our current administration not only doesn't care about my well-being but seems to actively be trying to kill me," she said.

Prior to receiving healthcare, Caliente relied on serious preventative measures by following a strict dietary and physical routine. "I do my best to use the resources I have to avoid needing medical attention in general because I can't really afford it," Caliente said. "I am lucky for my overall health, but in reality, I'm a medical emergency away from financial, work, and housing ruin."

Now that I am uninsured, I too think about whether or not I'd be able to survive an emergency. Although I'm fortunate enough not to have any pre-existing conditions, I do live with a fear that should some random freak accident occur I'd be plunged into debt by a mountain of medical bills.

My form of healthcare now is mainly relying on over-the-counter medications that don't require prescriptions and self-diagnoses more often than not. Depending on what happens with the ACA, I may apply for coverage with the program, but if the repeal passes in the senate that might not be a viable option. In terms of access to sexual health services, I'm planning to go to free clinics like Planned Parenthood. But, hearing that the GOP plans to defund Planned Parenthood puts my future health and those who I may come into contact with in peril.

When it comes to being uninsured, Caliente says people need to keep in mind the emotional and mental weight that burdens people without healthcare. "Being uninsured while working also means living with the disenfranchising concept that your work, time, and effort are seemingly meaningless because your employer does not see that it's worth it to provide you access to quality life with healthcare," she said.

Caliente went on to say that being uninsured should not be viewed as a "punishment" for people that don't work. There's this myth that people without healthcare are unemployed lazy bums, which clearly isn't the case. Every uninsured person's story is different, but for most of us, our absence of healthcare isn't for lack of trying.

I'm coping with idea of being uninsured for a short while and then eventually giving into my company's healthcare once I've saved enough money to afford it. My only hope is that we can get to a point where healthcare isn't seen as a battle over partisan politics but as an essential human right.

Times are tough, but there are resources out there. If you are employed learn more about your company's healthcare policy and whether or not it's a good fit for you. If you're unemployed think about using free clinics when you need medical attention, here's a helpful tool to find a clinic near you. There are also affordable outlets for mental health treatment as well, such as the therapy app Talkspace. Protect yourself before you wreck yourself.