Colorado expanded Medicaid in 2014, and thousands of hard-working, low-income folks have received access to affordable healthcare since. This is the story of one such person.
Larry had been the top salesman for a music software company for nearly 20 years. In 2014, the company relocated to Longmont, Colorado.
Larry and his wife, Erika, made the move in early 2015. His wife worked as a paraprofessional at the local middle school, and Larry made a stable income from his career. Things were going well until June 2017, when the company was bought out, and all staff was laid off, including Larry.
After months of applying for jobs, Larry was left to find work in the gig economy as a driver for DoorDash and Uber. His wife’s job could theoretically cover him for health insurance, but it would cost $900 a month. He was left with no options for coverage, so he continued his work uninsured.
Then, at the end of 2021, Larry experienced a hernia while working for DoorDash. Because he worked in the gig economy with no benefits, he was unsure if he could afford such surgery. He also wasn’t aware that he qualified for health coverage under expanded Colorado Medicaid until he received a letter from the state.
The news came just in time. Instead of making the horrendous decision of whether to skip the potentially life-saving surgery or go bankrupt, Larry was able to have the procedure at a fraction of the cost. It likely saved him from severe health and financial problems, future medical issues, and even early death.
If Larry had lived in Wyoming, which has not expanded Medicaid, his story would be entirely different. Fifty miles north of where he lives now, he wouldn’t have had access to affordable healthcare and would have had to forgo the surgery and hope for the best.
Everyone deserves access to affordable, life-saving healthcare. Where you live shouldn’t determine your life expectancy, but it does in states where expansion has yet to happen, like Wyoming. The hardworking people of Wyoming deserve access to care like their neighbors– no one should be left behind.
