Medicaid
Kristy Layne, A Lifeline Set to Expire: One Mother’s Struggle to Stay Insured
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.
Holly and her family had employer-sponsered insurance through her husband's work, so they worried what would happen when her husband was laid-off. With the help of advance premium tax credits (APTCs) Holly's family has good, affordable coverage with tax credits to pay for monthly premiums.
Stephanie needed iron infusions following a kidney transplant, but care was delayed due to issues with prior authorization through her insurance provider. Thanks to the repeated efforts of Stephanie's mother Lauren, her caretaker and advocate, Stephanie got the care she needed within 72 hours. A health advocate in her own right, Lauren wonders "how are other patients dealing with this?"
When she was 16 years old Christine needed a life-saving surgery at a childrens hospital out-of-state. The hours long ambulance ride resulted in an over $5,000 surprise bill that her parents weren't prepared for, placing a heavy financial toll on the family. How can patients be protected from these surprise bills?
After her pregnancy and postpartum period, Lakeisha. an essential worker for the government, no longer qualified for Medicaid. When she was hospitalized for walking pnemonia and nable to receive short-term disability, Lakeisha was forced to take out loans to cover her medical bills.
After several years of struggling and meeting with numerous doctors, Laura was finally diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. The prescriptions needed for her condition are not covered by her insurance, despite appeals by her doctors. Laura is faced with the difficult choice of paying for food, or paying for medication.