Monday, June 11, 2012

A Sister's Life Saved Could Be Your Own

I have had a half dozen friends die of various forms of cancer in the past year; two of the women were, like me, in their early 60's. Breast cancer for one, uterine the other. When I heard that a friend and dear woman, Tami Graham, had been diagnosed with uterine cancer last fall it was another hit to soul-er plexus. Tami was self-employed like myself and many of my friends. She had no health insurance. She lived healthily and, like we of the green persuasion, believed that living and eating right would keep her healthy. Her diagnosis was frightful and devastating, as she faced down alternatives and the likelihood of thousands of dollars of medical debt.

Phone calls led her to the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare: it changed and saved her life.

Tami was able to get insurance for a pre-existing condition for $360/mo. Her coverage was $2500 deductible and paid 80%. Her diagnosis was September 16. By Mid-October she was approved for Obamacare. Coverage began November 1st. Through amazing bureaucratic efficiency, a 90K debt for cat scans and surgery dissolved.

I'm writing about this because it's cause for celebration.
I write because the majority of people don't know about this plan.
I write to the numbers of people who believe OBAMACARE to be a dirty word.

The only two qualifications to Tami's coverage was that she had to have had no insurance coverage  within the last six months, and she had to prove that an employer could not cover her. No problem there, since she was self-employed.

Go to gettinguscovered.org for details.

Spread the word.

Rejoice.

Go to TamiGraham.com to see her video story which she shared when she introduced President Obama recently in Denver, CO.

4 comments:

  1. From Pari: So glad you are sharing this information with everyone. Our mutual friend, xxxxxx,has been using this program for his cancer treatment. Now if we could just get a Universal health care program for everyone - my only disappointment with Obama's Affordable Health Care program. It needed a single payer (Medicare style) component.

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  2. I had no idea Obamacare was actually in force and people were using it. Thought it was still tied up in court battles, whatever. Thanks for the eye opener and blessings on Tami.

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    1. Yes, I've since found another friend who had no insurance and was diagnosed with lymphoma is also using it. No more refusal for pre-existing conditions!

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