Im 20 years old in the US and I currently get government insurance that I’ve had since I was a kid and as far as I know it ends when I turn 21 in a few months. I’ve been trying to get on disability for a couple of years now because I need the insurance. Even if I get on disability that doesn’t guarantee I will stay on it forever because it seems like they are cutting a lot of people off nowadays. What am I supposed to do if I find myself in a situation where I don’t have insurance. I have to get embolizations for my AVM and I also have to get eye check ups and brain scans every few years to monitor for new AVMs. I also have to get heart check ups every two years because I’ve had heart problems since I was a kid. Not to mention anything else that could potentially change with my health in the future that I would need diagnosed/treated. I’m getting very stressed out and I hate that I am having to go through the disability application mess at all. I hate that this country doesn’t have free health care. What do you do when you need insurance but can’t get it? Edit: I tried looking into marketplace insurance which I believe is Obamacare and they said I don’t qualify since I don’t work and I don’t have an income, and even if I did idk if they would cover what I need.
Hi,
Maybe it’s state regulations, but here in AZ you would qualify for emergency ACCHS
I’m not familiar with what that is but I’m assuming TN does not have that because my hospital had a social worker contact me and she said look into marketplace and when I told her I didn’t qualify for that after calling them she said well there’s pretty much no other options. Not sure if she knew what she was talking about though.
Edit: did a quick Google search and it looks like that is specifically an Arizona thing, but I still appreciate your input, thank you 
Thankfully it applied to me - I have been on ACCHC ever since my son was born. When I was at the hospital getting processed for one of my many visits, I remember seeing a sign that said “we ask for your insurance, if none is provided, a payment up front is required for further care” < I remember thinking, just wtf does that mean - I suppose, I know
In your case, man - I just don’t know & usually I have all the answers to cut through the US BS red tape.
Sorry lady 
My mama had to get a lawyer to get her disability.
I’ve had a lawyer throughout the entire process, unfortunately social security is still dragging their feet. 
I’ve already been denied once and I’ve been in appeal for over a year.
Daum!
AZ was going through some phase or something about five years ago. I had no insurance, cut most of my pinky off & they denied coverage - and, I paid out of pocket.
Shit - but, something like this:/ it really shows how broken “our” system is
I hope someone else can chime in with something insightful
Yeah healthcare is a joke unfortunately and most insurance companies are money hungry scammers.sad.
The only thing I can suggest is just keep to keep trying. My husband was a high power lineman and and was electrocuted, 42% 3rd and 4th degree burns and lost his leg below the knee. This is going to sound really stupid, BUT trust me, my husband had to try 3 times before getting his. The last time he submitted, they actually called him and asked him if he thought his leg would grow back. After he stopped laughing at them, they finally funded him his disability monthly payments.
Science fiction has more to answer for than you’d think 
Sometimes I wonder just how ignorant people can be 
Well now we know! 
I don’t believe the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) has a work requirement. Here’s the link to Tennessee’s info on the ACA. It’s based on income and government subsidies. If you are at or below poverty level, it costs little or nothing. Click on the Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Scroll down until you see the SILVER-ACA-A, B or C plans and determine what your income level is.
I contacted them because my doctor’s set me up with a social worker and she gave me their contact information but for some reason they told me that I don’t qualify since I don’t have an income. Not sure if that particular person I spoke to knew what they were talking about or not.
Edit: when I clicked on the link you sent me it looked like it showed those plans are for Nashville TN and Memphis TN and I’m a few hours away from both so that might be why I don’t qualify.
My reading of it is that it is based on household income, so it may not need to be you that is earning. I’m not at all familiar with these things, though.
It’s like asking, how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood
People’s ignorance just doesn’t surprise me any more
@moonglow500 It would not shock me if you got bad information - Many people are retiring and even pre covid I went to the same social security office 3x and got three different answers regarding SSDI.
Each state is different I have not heard about different county -
Also many hospitals have financial aid. Like here in the Bay Area Stanford has the best and when my little sister got the flesh eating virus I applied for her for both medical and Stanford financial aid which pays for most stuff but blood work and xrays. Then I flooded Medical with her records to keep her on it until she had to fight for years to get onto SSDI. Since you dont make an income it sounds like you would qualify. So maybe pick the best hospital and start calling to see who has the best avm drs and best financial aid while you wait for SSDI.
also google SSDI lawyers in your area. They only get paid a certain amount if you win here in CA it maxs out at 6k and you get back pay from the date of filing - Well you might not qualify for SSDI since you have to work 40 qtrs so you may get sdi. You can be on your parents insurance until you are 26 as long as your taking college classes.
Hi, because our health insurance in the US is very state based, where you live will matter. Whether you are a dependent on your parent(s) tax return may matter. If your parents have health insurance with their jobs, you may be able to have coverage as their dependent until age 26. That may give you some wiggle room as you wait for disability. Sadly, you appear to have aged out of TN government programs. If moving is possible, single adults aged 19+ in NC qualify for Medicaid with incomes (single) up to $1,676/mo. Other nearby states may be similar. There may be community health centers and federally qualified health centers available in TN. You can petition the SSA to add your condition to their list of Compassionate Allowance Conditions. You can contact your state and federal legislative representatives to advocate for expanded insurance options in TN. What’s unfortunate is that you have enough stress in your life, and you shouldn’t have to advocate so much for yourself. But this is what we have to work with.
Thank you. I definitely wish this condition was more widely known, so that way it would be easier for those like us to get the help we need. A lot of doctors and just about every person I’ve had to communicate with for social security and what not, have never heard of an AVM, have no idea what it is, which doesn’t help my case at all.
Hope this helps somebody I’m going to try it out myself