Going to the doctor
- Name: Laurie Muffley, 52
- Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
- Job: Adjunct instructor/librarian
I signed up to get coverage starting January 1st. On January 2nd, I went to a local clinic and received a flu shot and a pneumonia shot.
I've worked two part-time positions for years, without health coverage. I didn't have the money to buy insurance. It was about $140 a month.
I got the silver plan through Humana. I'm paying $10.01 a month with a $500 deductible.
By early February, I visited my primary care physician for the first time and received a tetanus shot, a blood test, a prescription for a mammogram, back X-ray and a colonoscopy.
When I saw my new doctor, they discovered I'm pre-diabetic and I had absolutely no idea. My father had diabetes and died at 59. I had no clue because I simply couldn't get the blood work that everyone else takes for granted. It could have killed me.
The Affordable Care Act has helped me dodge at least one bullet, maybe more. I've lost weight since I've seen the doctor. I've joined the gym. I got the message.
I have to wonder what my future would have been like without any medical care. The Affordable Care Act has really saved my life.
