I have a heart condition and I don’t have health insurance because my employer doesn’t offer it. I also make too much money for Medicaid, so I have no choice but to go without insurance. I need to be on heart medication, but I can’t afford it. I could also have surgery to take care of my heart, but how could I do that? There’s no way I can pay for it. 

Several times, I’ve had heart palpitations and passed out and have been taken to the ER. One visit ended up costing me $1,700 and I was sued. Even though I don’t make much money, the debt collector, Armada Corporation, was brutal–always forcing me to commit to paying more than I could afford. I ended up having to go to court because I just didn’t have the money and ended up with a judgment against me. As a result, my credit was ruined. 

Every day I am faced with the possibility that my heart will give out and I will again be taken to an ER and face thousands of dollars in medical bills. There are a lot of hard working people like me, trying to do the right thing in life to get ahead, but you can’t do that if you’re not up to full health and it’s hard to be at full health when you can’t even afford to go to the doctor.

Help us change the health care system.