This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
My husband was 24 years old and self-employed when our son was born with Down syndrome. We soon learned our baby's diagnosis was considered a pre-existing condition, and we weren't permitted to purchase a private health insurance policy for him at any price.
Our only options were a high-risk pool or an optional Medicaid program with a long waiting list for children with disabilities in Utah due to low state funding. So, we joined the waiting list and bought into the high-risk pool. Unfortunately, the high-risk pool was very expensive with high deductibles and covered very little of the therapy our son needed to thrive.
Ultimately, we took the drastic step of leaving our beloved friends and family to get the help our son needed in another state that did fund the special Medicaid program. At the time, I sent a letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch pleading with him to no avail to help families like ours access health insurance no matter where we live.
Now my son is about to turn 18, earning his Eagle Scout award, and riding a bike to work at a grocery store. He contributes to his community but will soon need another Medicaid program that helps adults with disabilities get more job-training and community support. But the AHCA is proposing to cut over $800 billion in Medicaid funding that would pull the rug out from underneath us again. So I am pleading with Sen. Hatch again to consider people like my son and reject this proposed cut.
Stephanie Meredith
Canton, Ga.