Guaranteed Healthcare

Uninsurable Because of Diabetes, Now Paying Off $37,000 Hospital Bill to Collection Agency

"I have a chronic illness, diabetes Type 1, and have been uninsured for about four  years due to this fact," said Sharyn Kaye of Albuquerque, N. M. "There is a rider on any insurance I apply for because of my diabetes. I have been healthy and use preventative measures to stay that way."

"Last summer, I had a hypoglycemic attack, which caused me to be hospitalized. I was in the hospital for four days and I received a bill for $37,000, which eventually was forwarded to a collection agency. I paid minimum payments to the hospital, and each time I paid they didn’t let me know what my balance was or any information for that matter. I was never seen by a case manager or any other individual that might have given me a way to resolve this."

26-Year-old Daughter Died Because She Feared Medical Cost

"After my husband lost his job of 13 years due to outsourcing, we had to leave California," remembers Marlena Machol of Silver City, N.M.. "Our daughter Elizabeth decided to stay at her job in California. Although her employers had promised to look into employee health insurance, they had not done so yet, so we told her if she had to go to the doctor we would pay for it.

"We had been sending a payment to the doctor every month, trying to stay ahead of her health needs, while paying hundreds every month to an insurance company for a policy for us. Some months later, Elizabeth said she'd been awfully tired, but attributed it to a recent move, long hours at work, and her cat Bert waking her up. I told her she ought to go to the doctor, but she didn't want to cost us if she didn't have to. I made her promise to go if she didn't feel better soon.