August 01, 2012 07:09 PM UTC

Access to healthcare in Colorado for everyone - including the unemployed

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• by: Denver Unemployment Examiner

For those who don’t already know, here in Colorado we are working to establish a statewide healthcare cooperative – owned and operated by the residents of Colorado. This cooperative will expand on the provisions contained in the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid and VA benefits – and is truly a win-win for businesses, patients and providers.

As someone who’s been out of work for far too long (and someone who always depended on – and took for granted – the employer-based health insurance I no longer have) access to healthcare is now often out of reach for months at a time, if it’s accessible at all.

I am among tens of thousands of Coloradans who are very much at risk of learning about illnesses that, if diagnosed before finding work, will become ‘pre-existing conditions’ and will impact our ability to access healthcare for the rest of our lives. I personally put off having breast lumps examined for fear of them becoming pre-existing conditions. In other instances, I had no access to a doctor and waited until I was so sick I had no choice but to visit the E.R. – costing thousands of dollars for diagnosis, but not treatment.

I currently have two ‘pending’ medical issues fall into in the same category of ‘potential pre-existing conditions’. I never in my life dreamed I’d find myself in a position where I was afraid to see a doctor because it would limit my ability to access healthcare in the future. But today that is a very, very real fact of my life – and the lives of tens of thousands of others who are out of work in Colorado.

Sadly, like many of us – maybe even most of us – I didn’t see the ‘importance’ of healthcare and policies that impact healthcare – until after I was without health insurance – and healthCARE -for an extended period of time.

I’m very proud to be a part of this effort – and here in Colorado we have a real shot at making this – affordable healthcare for all for less – a reality in Colorado.

Please get involved – be a part of making healthcare accessible and affordable for all Coloradans.

http://www.healthcareforallfor…