Michelle D. is 45 years old, resides in Alachua County and currently works at a job that does not provide health care coverage. She has a history of abnormal pap smears and mammograms, in addition to two different skin cancers. In the past, she worked for an employer that provided health insurance and with annual check-ups, she was able to stay on top of her health care issues. Now, she is fearful that some of the symptoms she’s experiencing could be something more serious. The stress of not having health insurance for the past three years, not having access to the care she needs and now relying on a healthcare clinic is causing her a great deal of distress.
Like nearly 500,000 other Floridians, Michelle falls into the Coverage Gap because she earns too much to qualify for Medicaid, yet not enough to pay for health insurance. For 10 years, Florida’s state legislators have had the opportunity to expand Medicaid to cover Floridians earning below the poverty level while saving the state $200 million a year. It’s time to give these hardworking Floridians the security of health coverage.
“When I had my employer-based health insurance coverage, I had regular checkups and felt that I was really able to stay on top of my most concerning health care issues. I would love to say to our legislators and other elected officials who have taxpayer paid healthcare, why don’t you see the need for the rest of us to receive the same care?”