Meet Larnice Sherrell Reed
Homecare Worker, ULTCW- SEIU
California home care workers such as Larnice Sherrell Reed may not work enough hours to be eligible for employer-sponsored coverage or that coverage may simply be unaffordable on a home care worker's paycheck. Sadly, Larnice knows firsthand how lack of insurance can lead to personal tragedy.
"In June of 2007, my husband was complaining of abdominal pain. We went to the free clinic in my area and they stated that he was suffering from a sprain. Later in the year, he was in pain again and went back to the free clinic. This time, they said that he had low blood sugar.
"On Jan. 25, 2008, my husband left work complaining of extreme abdominal pain. We went straight to the UCLA Harbor emergency room because we did not have any health insurance at the time.
"After eight hours of waiting, they finally admitted him, took him to the back and put him on a machine. When they came out, they said, 'Mr. Reed, you have a tumor.' They performed surgery, he had chemotherapy and he was hospitalized for lengthy periods of time. I stopped working to take care of him and we used the money that we were saving for a house to keep a roof over our heads.
"My beloved husband left this earth on Feb. 17, 2009. I was left with medical bills totaling over $150,000."
How reform will help Larnice
Under both the House and Senate bills, home care workers such as Larnice who don't qualify for coverage on the job will be able to enroll in either Medicaid or the insurance exchange, without waiting periods or hours requirements. Larnice would pay lower premiums and co-pays, and have better benefit protection if the final legislation includes the House approach to affordability for workers with modest incomes up to $27,000 for an individual.
Most importantly, protections in the House and Senate bills ensure no lifetime limits on healthcare coverage and caps on out-of-pocket maximum costs. Today, more than 62 percent of bankruptcies are caused by sudden illness or a medical event that can devastate a family. Healthcare reform will ensure that families such as Larnice's will be protected from the financial disaster of uncovered medical bills.
