I have Addison’s disease and had to have my thyroid removed because it grew to be golf ball-sized. My health conditions are numerous and complex, so I need to be seen by skilled specialists. But, after I lost my insurance, all of my doctors released me from their care. I’ve tried to find other specialists but the first question the secretary asks me when I call to schedule an appointment is, “do you have insurance?” And, when I tell them I do not, they ask how I will pay for my care, and I have no answer for them.
It's not lost on me that because I am not able to afford the thyroid medication I need for my Addison’s disease, the stress I feel when I’m denied care puts me at risk of developing an Addisonian crisis, which can cause my adrenal glands to fail and threaten my life. And yet, because Texas has refused to expand Medicaid, I have no choice but to leave my chronic conditions untreated and ride out my pain by taking Tylenol.
Please do what’s right for a low-income, hardworking single mom and grandmother like me. As a tax-paying person and American citizen I deserve to have health coverage. I beg you to close the Medicaid coverage gap before it’s too late for me and the over 1 million Texans who have no access to basic, affordable health coverage. We can’t wait any longer.
— Nicole, Hemphill County, Texas