Anne Marie Schneider lives in Durham, North Carolina, and has spent more than three decades working across nearly every corner of the health care system. After losing her job with only days to act, Anne Marie and her husband turned to the ACA Marketplace. Given their circumstances, the family qualified for enhanced ACA tax credits, but without subsidies, the cost was impossible.
Read Anne’s storyIt took years for Heidi Pomerleau to get the health coverage they need to manage their permanent disability. Now covered by Medicaid and Medicare, Heidi lives in constant fear that they will lose access to care if the programs are cut. Now Heidi fights to help other people get insurance coverage through Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Read Heidi’s storyRenee Arnold has spent her life caring for people with disabilities, yet she cannot afford health insurance for her own husband. As premiums skyrocket, she faces impossible choices between housing, health care, and financial survival.
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In 2017, Tomeka James Isaac was pregnant with her first and only son, Jace. At 40 years old, she was told early on that she would be at high risk for pre-eclampsia, yet despite this ominous warning, Tomeka’s pregnancy was progressing smoothly. Until, at her 35-week appointment, complications began.
Read Tomeka’s storyKea had a plan. Pregnant with her first child, she knew she wanted a natural birth, and she wanted her birth experience to be an experience that was unique to her. However, she felt dismissed by doctors when she made requests, and ignored at appointments. Kea switched to a birth center, and everything changed for the better.
Read Kea’s storyTamara's 18 month old grandson fell ill with a slight cough and signs mirroring COVID-19, but was not tested by his pediatrician. After his oxygen levels dropped, he was taken to the ER but was still not tested for COVID-19 due to not meeting testing criteria.
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For two years, Wayne, a 56-year-old living in Colorado with his wife, relied on marketplace insurance to protect their health, and their finances. Their monthly premium of $690 was high but manageable. That all changed when Wayne, a self-employed commercial cleaner, contacted his insurance agent to ask about the upcoming year.
Read Wayne’s storyWhen Lacy Marshall’s daughter suffered a long seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy, the family was quickly overwhelmed by insurance changes, denied imaging, and unexpected bills. Their experience pushed Lacy to speak out about how confusing and costly the system can be and help others navigate it.
Read Lacy’s storyDanielle, a mother in West Virginia, has always done everything she can to keep her six-year-old son healthy. Born at 29 weeks and diagnosed with multiple disabilities, her son has relied on consistent, trusted care from the same pediatrician since leaving the NICU. For years, their visits were simple: a small copay, the care he needed, and no unexpected bills. That changed in 2024, when the pediatrician’s long-standing independent practice was taken over by WVUMedicine.
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