Getting Coverage—and Peace of Mind—Even if I’m Not Near My Tribe

Getting Coverage—and Peace of Mind—Even if I’m Not Near My Tribe

November 16, 2016

By: Aaron Jump, Detroit, MI

I’m healthy. But that doesn’t mean I’m invincible. I don’t know what tomorrow holds. But I do have peace of mind, because I’m covered. And today, I’m paying next to nothing for prescriptions that used to cost me hundreds of dollars.
I’m an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and I used to live with my family on tribal lands in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I could get basic health care at no cost through the Indian Health Service facilities there. And that was a good thing, because in 2010 I lost the health insurance I had through my job.
But after moving about and bartending at various casinos, I settled in Detroit and started studying biology at Wayne State University. I felt I could do more with my life.
I also needed to get health insurance again. The IHS clinic in the Upper Peninsula was too far away to be convenient for me and didn’t have all the services I wanted. The American Indian Health and Family Services of Southeastern Michigan, a nonprofit in Detroit, helped me enroll in affordable, quality coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
I was covered by an HMO for $37 a month after tax credits for the first year and $50 a month after tax credits for the second year. I shopped for 2016 and got a more flexible PPO plan for $95 a month that I really like. In addition to quality, low cost coverage, as an American Indian, I also benefited from no cost sharing, which means I don’t have copays or deductibles. I used to pay $375 a month for prescriptions, but now my plan covers them. This gives me peace of mind.
READ MORE: Getting Coverage—and Peace of Mind—Even if I’m Not Near My Tribe