Andy Keith: Chronic Illness, Surprise Bills and the Fear of Losing Coverage

Andy Keith is a 26-year-old resident of Wichita, Kansas who depends on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace to manage her complex medical conditions. As a teenager, she was diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases, Graves and Hashimoto’s, and a thyroid imbalance. Up until last year, Andy was covered by her parents’ private plan. Now, she has a marketplace plan that provides full coverage for her medical care.

The ACA coverage she relies on makes it possible for her to see neurologists and cardiologists to manage conditions that cause debilitating migraines, nerve pain and fainting spells she has experienced since childhood. Without her plan, Andy said, “I would truly be screwed.” Andy credits her coverage with giving her the peace of mind, sharing “there are a lot of reasons I could potentially need to go to the ER at any given time … and if I do, I’m not going to be in asinine amounts of medical debt.”

Unfortunately, medical debt is something Andy is familiar with. “Towards the end of last year, I had gone to see a rheumatologist because of serious issues with my hips and lower back. I got referred to the rheumatologist. Then the rheumatologist sent out a referral for an MRI. Somewhere in there, lines got crossed, and insurance wasn’t paying for the MRI.” A year later, Andy is still making payments on the MRI that she thought was covered. The unexpected bill adds to the financial strain she faces from managing ongoing health issues and highlights how easily patients can be caught off guard by surprise medical costs.

Recent threats to the ACA have the potential to negatively impact Andy’s ongoing care by limiting her access to the medication and doctors she needs to stay healthy. She recognizes that she’s not the only one in this position. “It’s going to make it a lot harder for a lot of people that desperately need health insurance to get health insurance. A lot of people are going to not get the medical care that they need.”

Andy stressed how disability can be entirely unpredictable, sharing, “ A disability can happen to anybody at any time. I’ve been a part of the workforce paying taxes since I was 15, and then suddenly at 23, I can’t work full time anymore. My body is just deteriorating. And it’s, it’s not going to bounce back.” She added her frustration with the way in which policymakers view the disability community, sharing, “Their decisions, their actions have consequence consequences. And just because they don’t see it on a personal level doesn’t mean it’s not happening.”

When asked about the impending cuts to the health care system and the impact it will have on our nation, Andy has a direct message: “Everybody deserves health care regardless of how much money they make or what they have happening with them personally. It’s a terrifying thought that it’ll be harder for people who need it to get it.”