Kyla’s Story and why we should care
Momocrats has the text of Kyla’s testimony before the Texas State Legislature, about her daughter’s life-threatening condition, the deficiencies of employer-provided insurance, and the direct impact that the veto last year of the SCHIP bill had on her life. The revised SCHIP increased the income ceiling for coverage. Had it passed, Kyla’s daughter would have qualified for the High Risk pool. As it is, their income is too high by $260 per month to qualify. Of course, that $260 doesn’t buy them the care for their daughter that she so desperately needs.
Because of this, KayTar has been without vital therapies and specialized medical care for two months. In that short amount of time, I’ve had to cancel her hearing test. I’ve had to cancel a crucial appointment with her feeding disorder specialist. A few months ago her feeding situation had declined so much so that we were beginning to discuss the possibility of a feeding tube, and now I cannot even take her in to see the specialist who can help her overcome these obstacles. If things were to decline further, we have no safety net. There are no treatments or therapeutic options for her without health insurance. We can’t even afford for her to be seen in the feeding clinic without insurance coverage.
Right now, this is the strategy they’re considering:
Unfortunately we are $260 dollars over the monthly income limit set for CHIP. Because we have no other viable options, my husband has requested a pay cut in that amount, so that our children can qualify for proper health coverage. Not only will this decrease our monthly income, it will also cap him out at work. He will no longer be eligible for raises or positional promotions. It shouldn’t be this way; my husband should not have to handicap his career to provide for his children.
But he will, because we will do whatever we have to for our children.
This is so wrong. Kyla, her husband and her family are law-abiding, taxpaying citizens who are caught in an endless loop of technicalities and immoral policy-making. This is why we need to deal with this. She’s right. Her husband shouldn’t have to cap his career in order to qualify for the high-risk pool. And her daughter should be able to get the care she needs. I really hope we can offer Kyla’s family a better solution in the months and years to come.
Technorati Tags: momocrats, health care, SCHIP
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