To the editor:
When I graduated from my parents’ health insurance plan at age 26 last year, I was worried about how I would receive my healthcare coverage — and if it would be affordable. Since I was working during the day and attending classes at night, I did not have time to get a job to pay for unexpected medical bills.
Thankfully, I was able to qualify for Medicaid coverage through Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). I have been able to afford my health insurance ever since, a true comfort as I transition into a more independent lifestyle.
With this coverage, I have been able to attend school and work hard during the day without fearing that, at any moment, an illness or injury could burden my finances with costly hospital visits and medical bills. My financial stability could have been ruined as I worked to get on my own two feet. This possibility may have even led me to forfeit my education in order to get a second job. But I am grateful that Medicaid has supported me through this busy time, and I don’t have to make sacrifices in order to pay for my medical bills.
For young people such as myself, affordable health insurance is not necessarily something we have traditionally thought of as important to living an independent adult life. But I have come to realize this importance and the peace of mind it provides. Not having to add to any existing debt as a result of medical procedures or visits to the doctor is a luxury, and I have Medicaid to thank for that. Without it, my life and my financial situation may look very different than it does now.
Lindsey Blades
Greenfield
