Hey there tiny dancers, crazy diamonds, and console cowgirls. Do you know what Monday is? Monday is March 31, your last day to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The LAST ONE. If you don’t have health insurance — which many Autostraddle readers and even Autostraddle staff members don’t — this is crunch time for you to make the miracle happen. And having health insurance when you’ve been without it really is a miracle. Just ask Laneia:
I waited until two hours before the March 15th deadline to complete the enrollment process that I’d started in December 2013, because every time I thought about choosing a specific plan, my heart would stop and somewhere far away an orphaned kitten would cry out and I’d feel it in my soul, and then I’d need to lie down. Actually I was just beyond confused about the pros and cons of each plan’s details — copays and deductibles and monthly payments and what’s covered or not covered and so many things. I finally decided on a plan that seemed like A Good Plan and I paid the first month’s premium, and then four months of agonizing and eight years of being uninsured was over. But none of it seemed real until I got the packet with the card inside — with MY INSURANCE CARD inside.
I sat in the bathroom floor and ripped it open and straight up cried like someone on Extreme Home Makeover, and it hadn’t hit me until then how awful it had felt to be without insurance — like my life and health had been worth less than other people in this country. I didn’t even know how much of that I’d internalized until I had the stupid little card in my hand, and when it all went away.
You too can feel this feeling! If you’re uninsured and your body is ready, get thee to Healthcare.gov before March 31st. Don’t be afraid of the details — read about them and make the best decision you can and then, if it turns out that you chose the wrong plan, you can change it next year! Oh the freedom.
Not convincing enough? Maybe Hannah Hart and Obama can explain why you should be getting covered. That’s right, Hannah Hart and Obama made a video together JUST FOR YOU.
What are you waiting for? Get covered.