A Change Would Do Me Good: How Losing My Health Insurance May Improve My Life

By: Elizabeth Redhead Kriston

Fall is a time for change. We get a brief glimpse of colorful beauty before the harsh reality of cold days and long nights settles in. Despite our resistance to the oncoming winter, we adjust. We adapt. We turn up the heat and dress in thick sweaters. We eat hearty foods and sleep longer. We make the best from what we can not change. In the end, we may even enjoy it.

I think we can all agree that most change is hard. I don't know too many people who welcome change. Even changing a hairstyle is fraught with indecision, and second-guessing, and stress.

Unfortunately, change is part of life. When the school district moved the 6th graders from the elementary building to the middle school, parents across town were angry and concerned. After all the commentary and angry posts on social media, it turned out to be a better fit for those older kids who were tired of having to line up and march to the bathroom or lunchroom. By 6th grade, they were ready for some autonomy, some independence. The kids handled the change better than the adults

Sometimes changes work out for the best. Sometimes they do not.

Some changes feel like a cyclone is wrecking our lives

My most recent experience with forced change arrived with the blow that I a losing my health insurance. This is a very inconvenient and scary change. Losing my health insurance means that I will have to find and fund my health coverage.

Of course, I am scared and worried about so many things:

• The money. Will I be able to afford insurance?
• The coverage. Will I be able to find insurance that will provide coverage for all the needs I have or will have in the future?
• The search. Where do I even begin?
• The time. I barely have enough time to get things done in my day. How will I find the time to find and secure health coverage before the month runs out?

Rather than allowing myself to become overly stressed and consumed with worry and anxiety, I am choosing to find the positives. Believe it or not, even in the most stressful and scariest of times, we can choose to see the glass half full. By gosh, I'm going to do that.

3 Ways Losing Health Insurance Could Improve My Life

1. Perhaps, I can find an insurance plan that is a better fit for me and my family. I currently have horrible health insurance. It costs a fortune and has a very high deductible and co-pay. I rarely visit the doctor because, in spite of having coverage, I still have to pay exorbitant amounts of money for tests and visits. Instead, I choose to diagnose and treat myself and use Urgent Care for emergencies. This is not the best way to maintain good health and the long-term repercussions could be many.
2. Learning to enjoy the little things in life. This is a major change which will definitely impact our monthly income and spending choices. We will have almost no disposable income because of the expense of healthcare. By not being able to go and do as many things, we will have to return to a simpler way of life. We will be taking stock of what we have and adjusting our perspective about what makes for good leisure time activities. We just may have a better quality of life.
3. Making a career change. One of the hardest things we adults have to decide is when or if it's time to switch jobs. It is scary to delve out into the unknown. We become comfortable and complacent in our careers. A new job means new coworkers, bosses, rules and job responsibilities. We underestimate our abilities to thrive in a new place of employment. We can and will adapt. Perhaps, we may even discover we like the new job better. New work might mean moving and becoming part of a new community which can lead to many great things. Maybe you will fail, but at least you tried. Sometimes a push like losing healthcare is the impetus we need to do what we are too afraid to do on our own.

I am not happy about the change in status from covered to not covered. I am scared about the unknowns. I am not going to let this get me down. I will adjust and we will find a way to make this work. 

Even Cheryl Crow thinks a change would do you good

So as colder days and longer nights creep toward me, I will be embracing much change. I will take a cue from those 6th graders who adjusted and learned to appreciate their change. I believe even this change will do me good.

What life changes have you experienced that have made you better and stronger?