I was broke, uninsured, and severely sick. I was in desperate need for medical attention and had very few options.

Lisa Prenza, 23

If you’ve finally secured your first stable job, you’re probably realizing just how expensive medical bills are. The cost of a trip to the emergency room can be staggering, even with health insurance. The truth of the matter is that is that health coverage is expensive–especially when you’re struggling to pay off student loan dept.

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This was the reality that Lisa Prenza, a medical assistant from the Bronx, had to face after she landed her first job.

“I was offered health insurance through my employer, but eventually, I had to cancel it because I could not afford the monthly rates.” Said Prenza. “I was paying off loans while also paying for school. It was impossible.”

Prenza assumed she would be fine being uninsured until she could afford the health insurance offered through her employer, and for a couple of years, this worked for her. Until she began to notice that her health was beginning to decline.

“I was getting sick very often, something was always up,” Said Prenza. “At that point it had been a about year since my last visit. I was beginning to worry.”

Unfortunately, many young adults consider health insurance as an unnecesary expense to pay, until they actually get sick.

“I reached a point where I was so sick I couldn’t bare any longer. I was broke, uninsured, and severely sick. I was in desperate need for medical attention and had very few options.” Said Prenza.

Luckily, Prenza was able to get insured by Medicaid soon enough to see a doctor.

“I did not even know I qualified for Medicaid, because I am a student, until I applied and called desperately.”

There are many methods to stay insured after graduation.

The Affordable Care Act allows young adults to stay on their parents health plans until their 26th birthday, even after graduating.

There are also short-term health insurances that provide temporary coverage until another policy kicks in.

In addition, Medicaid has expanded to cover a wide range of incomes.

For more information on health insurance visit http://www.healthinsurance.org