Got health insurance?

Well, you can now add me to the growing list of people who were denied health insurance coverage. Now, it's personal.

I debated (internally) whether I would post this on my blog as I've generally liked to stay more on the educational, inspirational, and resource giving level. Recently though, I've had way more of a longing to bring my own walk of the talk into the game. To show behind the scenes of how I stay healthy and use my intuition.

So here we are, a personal account and a professional take on what it's like to truly take care of yourself in today's world. This is the first of many to blend these perspectives. Back to the health insurance...

I've gone for years without any, occasionally opting in when I worked for companies that offered group plans. My lack of insurance didn't stem from being anti-mainstream medicine. Ok, it did a little. Truth is, if it weren't for mainstream medicine, I wouldn't be alive. It saved my life many years ago. For that, I am very grateful.

In the past few months, I decided getting health insurance would be good for emergency purposes and as a back up plan for upcoming baby making time. After filling out extensive forms, waiting 6 weeks, having a long question answering session with health insurance reps, I was denied coverage. And ironically, if I had been approved, gotten pregnant after being approved, moved out of state (which is the plan in the next few months), I would not only no longer be covered by the health insurance but I would not be able to get any insurance in the new state because I'd have a pre-existing condition of being pregnant. Follow me on that?

Yeah, so we all know the health care system and the health insurance system is not healthy. It's a national hot topic and crisis. My story of being denied is common. I'm glad that's as ugly as it gets. Many suffer a far worse fate than coverage denial at the hands of what this system has turned into.

My intention in writing this post is not to elicit sympathy nor other grievances around what's not working. My intention is to acknowledge what's happening, and ask, from a personal and professional standpoint:

What can we do to care for ourselves? 

What would thriving and vibrant health look like for each one of us?

How can we create our own form of health insurance through easily accessible, natural, and non-invasive methods?

These questions and many more are ones I'll be answering for myself. Please join me, I'd love to hear what you're doing to take care of yourself, what holistic methods you know about, and your thoughts of how we can use what's broken to spur on solutions of a healthcare system - government sanctioned or not - that would work for all.

Comments

[Tami Close]

Vanessa, I love who you are, and that you already have your own health care system you've created for yourself. Maybe from this awareness of being denied health insurance, there is a greater message being delivered....something even greater is unfolding. Through this Divine whisper of "no," the answers are unfolding as we speak.

[Vanessa Smith, Wellness Coach & Intuitive]

Thanks Tami. I really feel that there is always a greater message being delivered behind (or sometimes in front of, ha ha) everything that happens. For years, I've been so passionate and committed to sharing about holistic methods of healing, having seen what a powerful difference homeopathy, Ayurveda, energy work, massage therapy, and so much more have made.

Now, I'm finding, with my personal experience of being denied coverage, that I feel even more dedicated to bringing education and awareness to the game in how people care for themselves. It's imperative, and ultimately will create a new system by the choices we make individually and collectively.