He spent decades in the health and fitness world, and never once got sick. Then, last year, a serious infection changed everything. Meet JP, wellness coach and 2-year Oscar member.
First off, tell us a little bit about your wellness coaching.
I help people improve not just their physical and mental, but also their emotional and spiritual wellbeing. I work with them to find a center (with plenty of meditation) and also develop a game plan that’s right for them.
What was your health insurance situation before Oscar?
I’ve been self-employed my whole life, and it’s ranged from multiple plans to zero plans. In January 2014, my policy was dropped. So I had to start from scratch. I had heard about this new, modern company that was changing the way things worked. Price-wise it was fine, so I signed up. but I’d never expected to use it. With my last policy, I hadn’t spoken to a human in more than five years.
How did you first start using the plan?
Believe it or not, I’d never been sick or hurt until last summer. I run a sports camp on Fire Island —a ten week, 24/7 job at the beach. One day, I discovered I had an open wound on my hand. It turned out, I had picked up an infection. There aren’t a lot of physicians out there, and I couldn’t really leave. By the time I got diagnosed, things had become quite severe and I had to go to the hospital. One of the attending physicians there suggested that amputation might be necessary. That’s when I really started connecting with Oscar’s Medical Management team. When I got out of the hospital, they made it clear that they were invested in my wellness and on-hand to support me and help me get there.
What was that experience like?
I wound up having several surgeries and needing to take a lot of drugs. Navigating all that territory when you’re already sick is nothing short of overwhelming. So having someone, a real person, making sure I was getting the best care at a manageable cost made a huge difference. So much so that when I got back to the city in November, I had lunch with Tina, my Care Manager. She had been with me through the whole process, suggesting things to think about, things to try. We had a real feeling of connection, and I knew she was invested in the process with me. I’ve never had such a pleasant experience with an insurance company in 62 years!
How was your summer?
This summer, I went back to Fire Island to teach again. Last year, I felt like I had the whole “zen” thing down, but this experience really upped the ante. I’m more invested than ever in the role that support and collaboration from others can have in our wellbeing. And Oscar definitely played a part in that.
BFF’s JP & Tina