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A Pennsylvania mother dropped her own health insurance to keep her husband and children covered — a decision that nearly cost her life when an untreated infection progressed to sepsis.
Britney Lynn found a medication that worked to manage her diabetes — until her insurance stopped paying for it. Trying to manage her condition without access to the drugs she needs caused her to lose her job and can cost hundreds of dollars a month out-of-pocket, leading Britney to forgo care or use less effective medications with worse side-effects.
Dee Burrell was 50 years old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and spent three years in treatment — and while her health insurance helped, she quickly learned that even covered patients can fall through the cracks of America's broken health care system.
After years without proper monitoring of a known liver condition, Liliana Zelaya was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer in March 2025 — and then spent seven months waiting for treatment while her son Leo battled their Medicare Advantage insurer through failed authorizations, inaccurate network information and contradictory cost estimates. She died in January 2026 at 74.
When Barbara Ingram-Rice enrolled in Medicare at 65, she expected the transition to be straightforward. She had spent years managing her husband's coverage and knew how to shop for a plan. But nothing prepared her for the moment a $10-a-month medication became $650 overnight. What followed was weeks of research and a discovery that saved her thousands of dollars a year.
When 32-year-old Minnesota resident Kaylean DiFiori was diagnosed with diabetes in 2025, her doctor immediately created a treatment plan to help control her blood sugar. But managing the condition quickly became more than a medical challenge. It became a financial and administrative battle with her insurance company.
For more than 30 years, Michelle Fry worked in the health care system in Illinois. She built her career in primary care, dialysis and orthopedics, spending 24 years in orthopedics alone. Over that time, she shared she has “seen a lot of change in the medical field, mainly cost,” adding, “I think the cost is outrageous. I don't think it should be that expensive.” She saw how the system functioned behind the scenes. Now, as a patient, she is experiencing it for herself.
Maggie Sanchez is a Medicaid beneficiary, a mother of a child with disabilities, and a caregiver for a loved one living with severe mental illness. When she talks about what proposed federal Medicaid cuts would mean, she is not speaking theoretically.
Kathleen Downes is 32 years old and lives on Long Island where she works as a social worker and a board-certified patient advocate. Kathleen was born with cerebral palsy, a lifelong physical disability that affects all four limbs and her motor functions. She uses a wheelchair and needs assistance with every activity of daily living, including bathing, dressing and eating. Medicaid makes it possible for her to live in her community, not in an institution.
Colleen Tommins Leard, a 58-year-old living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, understands the health care system from both sides. She trained as a surgical technician and spent years working in the operating room. Today, she works as a consultant in educational settings, helping hospitals partner with schools and contributing to legislative efforts related to health care. But despite working in health care, Colleen still struggles with the rising cost of coverage.