When caught out of network, the gaps in the American healthcare system can swallow you whole.
Meet Amy.
Amy is:
- Sweet
- Kind
- Funny
- An amazing mom
- Strong, physically and mentally.
Meet Mac.
Mac is:
- Amy’s husband.
- A top-notch dad.
- Hardworking
Together they have a gorgeous little family.
Their oldest’s name is Zeruah and for many years, it was just her. Then Amy and Mac decided they wanted to add to their little family. After years of infertility and recurring miscarriages, Amy became pregnant with their miracle baby!
So Amy and Mac moved to Alabama for Mac’s new job, in large part because of the much better health insurance the new position offered. Everything was going according to plan, until Amy delivered their daughter four weeks premature–and two weeks before their new insurance would kick in.
Now, their hospital had suddenly become ‘out of network,’ and their old insurance refused to pay a cent for baby Evie. So when she had to fight for her life for two weeks in the NICU, the Jays were faced with a staggering medical bill that threatens to drown the young family
.
Despite long hours on the phone with insurance agencies, hospital staff, lawyers and doctors, over and over again they were told: there is no way out. This bill is yours to pay.
While Mac and Amy are infinitely thankful that their little girl made it through this ordeal and is now thriving, paying for that miracle now threatens to send them into bankruptcy, turning what should have been one of the most beautiful moments in their life into a devastating financial disaster.
A group of friends who have supported the family throughout their struggles is now organizing a gofundme campaign to try and help Amy and Mac take their first step toward resolving the mounting bills.
It is unacceptable and devastatingly unjust that in this day and age, in a country this wealthy, this can be the result of saving the life of your child. And this nightmare could happen to anyone.
After all, to the outside eye, Amy and Mac had done everything right. They had followed all the instructions that they were given–their only mistake was apparently believing that, when their insurance said everything was taken care of, it actually was not. And now they face a choice no family should have to make.
It is a testament to her character that Amy has become committed to becoming an advocate for others struggling under the weight of medical debt in this country. Once she has brought her family through this struggle, she knows she has found her calling – helping others in her position and advocating for a health system that would truly cover all Americans. We can’t fix the system in an instant, but we can alleviate some of the burden on those it has hurt — and help Amy help more in the future.
Because no person should ever have to face financial ruin in order to save the life of their child
At some point in our lives, whether great or small, we have all been recipients of someone’s kindness. Now we have a chance to pay it forward. The Jay Family have hearts that are bigger than any dollar amount – and deserve to raise their little family free of crippling debt. Now, after all other options have been exhausted, it is the kindness of friends, family, and strangers that can make all the difference. Our support now will not only impact her & her family. It will impact many to come. — GoFundMe
Thank you to Cat Hollander and Kristin Flemons for partnering with me to write this blog.
Cranky until Caffeinated 
Seeing actual hospital and medical bills would have made this article much more powerful. When you are out of network, the for-profit providers capitalize on this.
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