r/HealthInsurance • u/pinkyoshimitsu • Jun 04 '25
Medicare/Medicaid Colonoscopy needed but no insurance
My close 26yo friend lives near Atlanta, GA. She works part-time at a church doing childcare and part-time at HomeGoods. Along with her younger brother, she helps support her household, particularly her older sister (who has MS but seems to not qualify for disability?), and her mother (disabled + ex-alcoholic with dementia).
About five years ago, she had serious GI issues and got a colonoscopy (discounted by a friendly doctor), which found large tumors in a part of the colon known for aggressive precancerous growth. The doctor advised repeat colonoscopies every 1–3 years, but she hasn’t had one since due to a lack of insurance.
Given her part-time jobs and financial situation, would she likely qualify for Georgia Medicaid? And if not, would she be eligible for subsidized ACA marketplace insurance? Or are there any other resources or clinics in Georgia that might help her get a follow-up colonoscopy without insurance?
Thanks in advance for any advice or info, I really appreciate it.
1
u/cottonidhoe Jun 05 '25
How much money does she make? She could consider moving to a state with better medicaid options for the future, but otherwise if she makes enough to afford ACA insurance the reality is she needs to wait for open enrollment and get a colonoscopy January of next year.
It’s not “good” news but most of these posts are “needs heart surgery tomorrow…” not “needs screening every 1-3 years…” 6 months is a long time for a precancerous tumor to grow and she should have enrolled last year, but unless she can pay for it out of pocket, get a new job with insurance, or marry someone with insurance, her option is to wait.