Surprise Medical Bills
Danielle: A Mother Caught Off Guard by Rising Facility Fees
Danielle, a mother in West Virginia, has always done everything she can to keep her six-year-old son healthy. Born at 29 weeks and diagnosed with multiple disabilities, her son has relied on consistent, trusted care from the same pediatrician since leaving the NICU. For years, their visits were simple: a small copay, the care he needed, and no unexpected bills. That changed in 2024, when the pediatrician’s long-standing independent practice was taken over by WVUMedicine.
Emma Brownstein has spent her entire life in Utah where she recently completed her undergraduate and master's degrees in game development at the University of Utah. Now, Emma is trying to navigate a challenging job market in the gaming industry. As someone who is neurodivergent and manages mental health challenges, Emma relies on consistent medical care and therapy to function. Fortunately, Medicaid was there to help.
After more than three decades in the classroom, Darlene W. thought she had done everything right. She built a career teaching in a small rural public school in New York State, retired with a pension, and found affordable health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace. For the past two years, she’s relied on that coverage for peace of mind in retirement. But now, with federal subsidies under threat, that sense of security is unraveling. 
ReShonda Young is a cancer survivor who accesses health care through the Affordable Care Act. With premium tax credits, her plan is $94 a month. But without them, her payment could skyrocket to $592 a month. She's asking Congress to think of people like her when considering changes or cuts to the program.
When the ACA Marketplace opened in the fall of 2013, Amy signed up for a plan that was exactly the same as the plan she’d bought directly through her insurance company. But instead of $1,400 a month, the same plan cost $530 a month, without the help of tax subsidies. Plus, it was even more robust than the original plan, including dental and vision coverage she’d never had before.
Athena Joost, a 28-year-old nurse living in Oregon, knows firsthand how prescription drug prices can impact treatment options. Two years ago, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic condition that can cause debilitating flare-ups. After initial treatments failed, her doctor recommended a biologic medication. Together, they decided on Stelara (Ustekinumab)
Ashley James lives in Jefferson County, West Virginia with her husband who is a disabled veteran. Together they have ten children, and their youngest is 16 years old. She describes herself as a newly married wife and a working mother who depends on Medicaid to stay healthy and able to do her job.
In Princeton, West Virginia, Sarah Allen, who is blind, depends on Medicaid to afford the caregiving support that allows her to live independently. Her experience shows how critical caregivers are to people with disabilities and how low pay and undervaluing their work threaten the stability and dignity that programs like Medicaid make possible.
In Beckley, West Virginia, Cameo Sampson and her husband rely on Medicaid to cover the intensive therapies and medical care their 13-year-old daughter Evelyn needs to thrive. Proposed Medicaid cuts threaten to undo that stability, putting families like theirs at risk of financial ruin and forcing impossible choices about their children’s care.
When her four-month-old son fell from his highchair, Hanna Utkin rushed to the emergency room for help, only to later receive hundreds of dollars in unexpected “facility fees” for a visit that lasted just minutes. Her experience highlights how hidden hospital charges can leave families paying far more than they expect.