Health is Wealth

Health insurance is the safety net that most Americans do not have. We tend to do everything to be healthy but fail to protect ourselves against life’s curve balls.

It’s funny how perspectives change as we age and our priorities shift as our focus follows.

If I could speak to myself ten years younger, boy would I have a lot to say. Spending 14-16 hours at the office trying to develop the next big venture in hopes of having time and peace of mind to be with my loved ones was just unrealistic. 

We often ignore the most important things in life trying to make it. Like millions of Americans, I tested positive for COVID last year. Even Though I didn’t experience any complications and didn’t have to go stay at the hospital, it still shocked my outlook on life. Months later, I started analyzing my overall health. I went to the doctor, a place I usually dread, and got all sorts of exams done. 

My primary physician was confused. He asked why I had decided to do all this all of a sudden. I explained that I wanted to be aware of any silent threats that I may have previously ignored. Thankfully nothing serious came up. All your cylinders are running fine, he told me. I left his practice and got in my car. My next plan was to speak to a nutritionist. What you eat today is your future body, or so I had been told. I started exercising and challenging myself to do harder exercises and longer walks every week. 

Fast-forward 5 months and I had lost 22 pounds. My colleagues complimented my skin and I felt lighter, I had better mental clarity, I slept better. I started receiving medical bills for my tests and visits to all these specialists and I felt sick all over again. 

I began looking into health insurance. I was proud of the changes I had made, but being prepared for a worst-case scenario was the next step. I started comparing health insurance plans and found that Biden was offering a comprehensive healthcare plan. Never been a big fan of any political trend, but I was willing to find out more. 

I was trying to find accessible plans that wouldn’t break the budget. I’m self-employed, always have been, so health insurance was never a benefit I had thought about. 

I still wake up early and go for my daily walk. Likewise, I still watch what I eat and try to be conscious of the food I buy and consume. I still sleep great at night, not just because I’m healthy today, but because I know if something were to happen to me tomorrow, I would be covered.