Will My Kids Ever Afford Health Insurance? A Mother’s Concern

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As a mom of two young girls, I share the universal fears many parents have about their children’s future. However, a new worry has crept in: will skyrocketing healthcare costs derail their financial stability?

Both of my daughters are set to enter adulthood with pre-existing conditions. My elder daughter has a kidney issue that currently doesn’t need treatment, while my younger one has a range of historical diagnoses from a congenital heart defect. Thankfully, they’re both vibrant and healthy now—just dealing with the usual childhood ailments like colds and the occasional headache. Yet, their past health issues place them in the “invisible risk pool,” which is concerning.

A recent report from the Center for American Progress highlighted a grim reality: although the American Health Care Act, recently passed by House Republicans, prevents insurers from denying coverage to individuals like my daughters, it allows them to charge higher premiums. The report estimates that those with even mild pre-existing conditions could pay thousands more than their peers for health insurance.

When I read this, I envision my girls—intelligent, caring, and eager to make a difference—having to adjust their dreams and lifestyle just to afford health coverage. I worry that their journey to homeownership will be longer than mine, or worse, unattainable. Starting families might become a struggle, and they may have to live frugally just to secure insurance. It’s unsettling to think they might pay hefty premiums for coverage that still excludes the very conditions that raised their rates in the first place.

My anxiety grows when considering the potential for insurers to deny coverage related to their pre-existing conditions. For my elder daughter, this could mean no coverage for kidney or bladder issues, while my younger daughter might face exclusions across her cardiovascular and respiratory systems. I can’t help but imagine them in a doctor’s office—my elder daughter being told a simple pregnancy test isn’t covered, or my younger one weighing the cost of a chest x-ray for pneumonia against her budget.

The bureaucratic language from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, outlining high-risk health conditions, reveals a harsh truth: those with expensive-to-insure conditions will likely be the first to face rising premiums if the ACA is repealed. My elder daughter’s condition might not even appear on that list, but I found codes for my younger daughter that could dictate her financial future.

My fears aren’t baseless. A study commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation back in 2001, before the Affordable Care Act, examined how accessible individual health insurance was for those in less-than-perfect health. The findings were alarming; of 420 applications made by hypothetical applicants, only 10% received standard rates without restrictions. Most were either denied or faced premium surcharges and benefit limitations.

If the ACA is repealed, we could be heading back to those dark days—especially with the elimination of penalties for companies that choose not to provide insurance to their employees. This raises the unsettling prospect that employer-provided insurance could disappear, leaving many of us to navigate the open market alone.

My greatest fear is that the best option for my daughters may become relocating to a country with socialized medicine. It’s a heartbreaking thought. Who would want to stay in a place where their health history can dictate their financial future? Watching the healthcare landscape shift has led me to believe that a repeal of the ACA will not only fail us but also make this country less appealing to the next generation, who deserve better.

As a mom, I can’t help but worry for my children and for all of us navigating this uncertain landscape.

For more insights on navigating parenthood and health matters, check out this post on intracervicalinsemination.com. If you’re interested in at-home solutions for insemination, Make a Mom provides a great selection of kits. And for further reading on health and family planning, the CDC offers excellent resources.

Summary

As a concerned mother, I worry about my daughters’ futures in light of their pre-existing health conditions and the potential rise in healthcare costs due to recent legislative changes. The fear that they may face higher insurance premiums and limited coverage is daunting, prompting thoughts about their financial independence and quality of life.