Private Insurance
Lacey's Fight for Access to Care
Lacey Lyons, born two and a half months prematurely in Whites Creek, Tennessee, has been navigating the complexities of the health care system her entire life. The challenges began with her diagnoses of mild cerebral palsy and epilepsy resulting from her early birth. Thankfully, she’s always had access to world-class care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), but adulthood brought new battles—ones that tested her resilience and her belief in a just system.
In 2022, Ron Dinsdale went to his dentist for teeth implants when the dentist dropped a small wrench and screw down his throat. Ron began choking and while he was able to retrieve the small screw, he unfortunately swallowed the wrench. The dentist, in response, was seemingly more irritated at Ron for swallowing his tool rather than concerned about his health.
When Ben Los’s 5-year-old son started experiencing seizures, they fought to get him the best care they could within their insurance network. Fast forward to two months after their hospital visit, their family received a bill for $2,518, a large portion of which was labeled as a facility fee. 
In 2017, Tomeka James Isaac was pregnant with her first and only son, Jace. At 40 years old, she was told early on that she would be at high risk for pre-eclampsia, yet despite this ominous warning, Tomeka’s pregnancy was progressing smoothly. Until, at her 35-week appointment, complications began. 
During Sally Jo's mother Dorothy's treatment, the fragmented health care system in Pittsburgh, PA, created numerous challenges. From dangerous communication breakdowns over medications, to the hospital prioritizing financial loss over human life, Dorothy was failed by the health system time and time again, ultimately resulting in the tragic loss of her life. 
Kristy enjoys her job and feels as though she is making a good salary but relies on the tax credits to keep her and Cora healthy. If Congress were to allow them to expire, she not only worries about herself and her family, but about the millions of other families who rely on this affordable coverage stating, “I just I don’t want anybody that’s in the same position as me to have to worry. I’m trying to better myself. But I just don’t feel like I can get ahead.”
After finding out that she was diabetic in 2017, Robin had to learn very quickly how to treat her condition with insulin as she fought for her life in the hospital. But when she went to get her insulin from the pharmacy after switching to Medicare coverage, Robin was in for a massive shock at the pharmacy counter.
When teacher Donna Calhoun bit into an apple and lost a tooth, she did not expect the dental emergency and bureaucratic nightmare that followed. With a Cigna dental PPO plan from her former employer, which she had been paying into for a decade, she expected coverage, but finding an available appointment in-network proved difficult as her condition worsened, leading to a fever and infection. 
Kea had a plan. Pregnant with her first child, she knew she wanted a natural birth, and she wanted her birth experience to be an experience that was unique to her. However, she felt dismissed by doctors when she made requests, and ignored at appointments. Kea switched to a birth center, and everything changed for the better.
After going off his parents insurance, Nate quickly chose a new insurance plan, but later realized it was a junk short-term plan, covering very little and with high copays and other costs. The providers of Nate's old plan were recently sued by the FTC for providing junk coverage, and he recieved money from the settlement.