I became a doctor to save lives. The state of Alabama won't let me: op-ed(www.al.com)
12 pointsby Jimmc4149 days ago2 comments
  • Jimmc4149 days ago
    The core problem is that in 10 non-expansion states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) young adults with chronic health conditions face a health insurance coverage gap from ages 19-26. At 19, they lose pediatric Medicaid coverage, yet many work entry-level jobs without benefits, earn too much for traditional Medicaid but too little for private insurance. Even the ACA provision allowing young adults to stay on parents' insurance until 26 only helps those whose parents have employer coverage.
    • Jimmc4149 days ago
      The gap exists until 26 because that's when the Affordable Care Act provides another potential safety net. The ACA established 26 as the age threshold by requiring insurance plans to allow young adults to remain on their parents' health insurance until they turn 26.

      For adults who lose Medicaid at 19, this creates a 7-year period without affordable coverage options because:

      1. They're too old for pediatric Medicaid (which ends at 19)

      2. They don't qualify for adult Medicaid in non-expansion states (which typically only covers parents with extremely low incomes, pregnant women, or people with disabilities)

      3. They can't afford private insurance premiums

      4. They don't qualify for sufficient marketplace subsidies

      5. They don't have access to employer-based insurance in their early career stages

      While some young adults can utilize their parents' insurance until 26, this only helps those whose parents have employer sponsored coverage. For those from lower income families without such coverage, there's no safety net until age 26, when they might have advanced to better employment with benefits or qualify for other programs.

      • wellackshually9 days ago
        [flagged]
        • dragonwriter9 days ago
          > The subject of the article is someone suffering from Crohn's disease. That's caused by glyphosate aka RoundUp. The solution is to quit eating poison.

          Crohn's disease was discovered 18 years before glyphosate was first synthesized, and 42 years before it was used in a commercial product.

  • 9 days ago
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