This is part of an ongoing series that gives Bronx writers a chance to share their personal stories on the state of healthcare in America.

by Else Fisher, October 15, 2018

Conditioning our Futures — My Dreams Derailed

“Pre-existing condition,” healthcare lingo for an illness you have prior to applying for health insurance. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 3 million (or 25%) of New Yorkers under age 65 have pre-existing conditions — which include pregnancy, diabetes, cancer (even if cured, cut out, or in remission), a history of substance abuse or addition, asthma, high blood pressure, depression, allergies, or any other condition an insurer might list.

You may not even know that you have such a condition. I certainly had no idea — until my after-college dreams were dashed, more than 55 years ago....

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