Loss of income could mean loss of sight
For two years, Florida legislators have refused to expand Medicaid as envisioned under the Affordable Care Act. Their decision left an estimated 850,000 Floridians without healthcare insurance in the "coverage gap." Here are some of their stories.
Last year, Edith G. Camacho had cataract surgery and received regular care from an ophthalmologist for glaucoma in both her eyes.
Camacho and her husband, Carlos, 49, were covered by a private plan through Aetna. With subsidies through Obamacare, the Camachos paid a monthly premium of $170 for their coverage.
But last year, Carlos Camacho’s small business, a lawn service, didn’t do as well as in 2013, and the family’s income fell below the federal poverty level.
That means the Camachos no longer qualify for the subsidy that made their Obamacare plan affordable. And because they are not disabled and their children are adults, the Camachos have fallen into the coverage gap.
“I asked them to give me another chance, to help me get a cheaper plan,’’ Edith Camacho, 52, said of her experience trying to re-enroll for a subsidized plan. “They said, ‘No.’ Obamacare can’t help us because we didn’t qualify.”
Camacho last saw the ophthalmologist in November. To treat her glaucoma, she uses two different prescription eye drops. She buys them with a discount at the Doris Ison Community Health Center, where she can see a primary care doctor for $25 a visit.
But there are no ophthalmologists at the center, Camacho said. A family doctor advised her to apply for a low-income program through Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Camacho called in March, and received an appointment for late June.
“My eyes are very important to me ... but they won’t give me a chance to get covered,” she said. “That’s not right. How come people in other states have a right to Medicaid, and I don’t?”
- DANIEL CHANG
Falling into the coverage gap | Back to series homepage
More profiles
▪ “I feel left over, left back.’’ — Paula Bazain, caregiver
▪ “What kind of country are we? Everybody needs insurance” — Francesca Corr, single mother
▪ “I can’t live a normal life.’’ — Genesis Rodriguez, automotive tech student
▪ “Normally, you go to the doctor when something like that happens.’’ — Carlos Cuervo, salesman
▪ “One minute you receive Medicaid, and the next minute it’s gone.’’ — Ceslynn Watkins, former customer service rep
▪ “I knew exactly right away what it was because I’d felt it before. I was having a heart attack.’’ — Eric Schmidt, former construction worker
▪ “It wasn’t the welcome that I wanted from Florida.’’ — Harry Melo, student
▪ “They just tell me I’ve been denied. Every time.” —Timothy Lane, former landscaper
▪ “I wish I had insurance, so I can go to a private doctor.’’ — Cynthia Louis, waiting a year to see a specialist
▪ “It’s totally unfair that when you’re in need of help, you can’t get it.’’ — Vanessa Wilcox, former phlebotomist
▪ “They won’t give me a chance. That’s not right. ... I can go blind.” — Edith G. Camacho, homemaker
▪ “I would benefit more from Medicaid expansion than charity care.’’ — Vincent Adderly, former security guard
This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Loss of income could mean loss of sight."