When it comes to any form of insurance, we hear people say “You  never know when you need it!” but it’s an easy thing to brush aside and ignore. I always thought that phrase was said by old, anxious people who expect awful things to happen. Last fall, I realized that an accident or a serious health concern really can pop out seemingly out of nowhere.

After being completely healthy for my entire life, I went to bed last fall and woke up with EMT’s in my bedroom. My boyfriend had called 9-1-1 after he came into our bedroom and saw me having a tonic-clonic (previously called “grand-mal”) seizure. I hadn’t been sick or injured, and I hadn’t started any new medications or made any life changes. The seizure happened out of the blue, and after spending a day at the hospital and having all test results come back normal I was sent home. Two days later I had a second seizure. The second seizure lead to severe rhabdomyolysis and Todd’s paralysis so I was hospitalized for six days after the second seizure.

Ryan sleeping in a chair while I was in the hospital

My story isn’t unique. People can develop epilepsy at any age and for no apparent reason. It’s still hard to wrap my mind around how it came out of nowhere, but for most people with epilepsy it does seem to just start randomly. I am so thankful that I had health insurance during that time because paying for a six-day hospital stay, two ambulance rides, tons of tests and more.

My boyfriend & I are both self-employed and work online. We were both able to do a little bit of work from our computers while we were in the hospital, so we could still bring in some money despite our tough situation. Of course, most people don’t have the ability to get work done while they or their loved one is in the hospital, so we were both very lucky that we were able to keep making enough money to pay our bills.

Working from home with pugs

For anyone with a more traditional job, having both income earnings in a household take a week off of work might destroy your budget and finances.  For those with employers who could give them the week off, they would still suffer financially under the stress of not bringing in new income while adding on new medical expenses at the same time.

Being financially protected in the event that you get injured or sick and are unable to work will be invaluable if you get hurt or sick. Aflac has plans that can keep you protected in the event of a sudden illness, injury and more.

Fall is the time for open enrollment through Aflac, so if you are ready to give yourself a safety net from injury and illness now is the time to research plan options and sign up. Most employers let employees review their employee-sponsored benefits and choose health insurance policies that best meet your needs. When you have the change to review your policy, make sure you do enough research to see what policies are best for you and your family. Many employees just opt in to “one size fits all” plans that aren’t specialized to your needs. Consider adding on voluntary insurance policies – they are designed to help you pay out-of-pocket expenses that can come with injuries or unexpected health expenses, and can even include cash benefits to help you pay your bills if you become too sick or injured to work. If I had been in a traditional job, adding on a voluntary insurance policy could have made the difference in whether I was able to pay my pills after my seizures last fall.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Emily

Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.

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