Holly Hendricks, who is battling an autoimmune disease that leaves her with open wounds down to the muscle, did everything she could to maintain her Affordable Care Act coverage after the enhanced premium subsidies lapsed at the start of this year.
But after a few months, the 49-year-old couldn’t handle paying the monthly premiums, which had more than tripled to nearly $1,100. Hendricks, who also has lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, became uninsured for the first time in April.
While she scrapes together enough money to afford her 12 daily medications, Hendricks can no longer see her four specialists, get blood work, receive infusions or have a wound care nurse tend to her condition. In September, she developed sepsis and ended up in the hospital for a month, which she expects could saddle her with more than $500,000 in medical bills.
“Being uninsured is catastrophic to my health, but when you have to choose between rent, utilities, food and insurance – the more basic needs have to come first,” said Hendricks, a Sarasota, Florida, resident who works full-time as a caretaker for a veteran…