Category: Uncategorized

College can be stressful. You apply. Pray you get accepted and determine how you’ll pay for it all. Each college experience is different. Some students will experience pressure at some point, but others have challenges outside the classroom.

Nia Harvin, a senior at Mississippi College, is a great student. She was selected to participate in a program in Boston as one of the top Mississippi high school scholars. Her academic acumen led to her receiving a scholarship to attend Mississippi College, where she is majoring in psychology. Even with her scholarship and help from her parents, Nia faces a significant financial burden as she strives to get her degree — she does not have health insurance.

Academic excellence will not excuse Nia if she suddenly falls ill, whether temporary or permanent. Currently, Nia has no health issues, but knowing that the flu, COVID, or disease could swoop in and bring her financial status to its knees is enough to make her feel sick and uneasy. But the fact of the matter is Nia cannot afford to be sick.

Although her mother has coverage through her job, Nia cannot receive any benefits because the plan does not extend to dependents. Consequently, Nia would have to pay for her health insurance, and it’s a significant burden. Between being responsible for college supplies and regular day-to-day expenses for food and personal needs, Nia’s funds are stretched thin, forcing her to decide between being insured for the month or buying the daily things she needs.

There are limited resources available for college students. Her college offers a health insurance plan for its students, but it is too expensive for Nia. She is unable to find health insurance.

At a time when Nia should be able to focus on her studies to get her degree and embark on her next steps in life, she has the constant burden and pressure of not being insured weighing on her, which has affected her before. In previous years, Nia tried to work while in college to pay for her coverage, but working on top of her various extracurricular activities weighed her down and reflected in her grades which didn’t match her lofty standards.

This year, however, Nia wants to focus on her studies so that her grades can be more reflective of all her hard work. That means she can’t afford to get sick because the cost of any care she receives would have to come out of her already stretched pocket. Nia urges lawmakers to protect the people of the state with the essential human need of healthcare. Simply provide people across the state with the insurance they would want for their children.

With the state of Mississippi’s maternal and infant mortality rates regularly hovering at the highest in the country, especially for Black women, Sha’Meika McDonald Davis decided to go through her first pregnancy with a midwife at home instead of being in the hospital. Her pregnancy went well, and taking control of her birth location and care was an empowering experience. She became a doting mom in January 2021 to a perfect baby girl.

Sha’Meika and her husband were elated. They had experienced two miscarriages and were overwhelmed with happiness that they had experienced such a holistic and nurturing process to the birth of their healthy daughter. At the time, Sha’Meika and her husband owned a private practice mental health clinic, and she was paying for healthcare out of pocket.

She was technically unemployed since she wouldn’t see clients for three months of maternity leave. Her unemployment status meant Sha’Meika and her daughter qualified for Medicaid. Now that Sha’Meika had these benefits, she thought it best to use them while she had them. She began to use it for her routine annual OBGYN visits. Unbeknownst to her, the quality of care she was used to while paying out of pocket was about to do a complete 180.

This February, Sha’Meika became pregnant again. She told the doctor she had selected via her eligible Medicaid coverage and informed them of her history of miscarriages. Her midwife had suggested her miscarriages were a result of low progesterone levels. Sha’Meika started taking progesterone from weeks five to 36 of her pregnancy.

She asked the OBGYN if she needed to continue taking it for this pregnancy to prevent another miscarriage. The medical office told her the earliest available appointment was almost two months out. Sha’Meika felt that it was too long to wait. She asked if they could call it in for her since it would not harm her health. Despite her concerns, the office told her she would need an appointment to get a prescription. Sha’Meika felt this put her and her unborn child’s health at risk.

Two weeks later, Sha’Meika began bleeding heavily. She called the doctor’s office to voice her concerns and let them know what was happening. However, she seemed to go unheard. The first nurse she spoke to told her to look out for certain things, mainly if her blood was a bright red. It was. The nurse said she’d talk to the doctor and give her a callback. Sha’Meika called back after not receiving a call after an hour had passed. The office said they’d be able to work her in that day.

Sha’Meika makes it to the appointment. A technician took her ultrasound, but no one told her anything the whole time. A nurse practitioner finally comes in the room with an intern. Neither of them even looks at her. Instead, they tell her they only have one miscarriage on file despite Sha’Meika having a history of them which she had already explained.

The nurse practitioner orders some blood work for Sha’Meika and tells her to return in four days. The office calls Sha’Meika the next day with the blood work results. They tell her they plan to give her an RHoGAM shot during her next appointment. However, it is only effective within 72 hours of exposure, and her appointment was outside that range. Sha’Meika urged them to bump her appointment up, but they did not. In the meantime, Sha’Meika had not been prescribed progesterone or any other medication to help her deal with her situation or the pain. She continued to bleed until her appointment.

Sha’Meika attends her long-awaited appointment on Friday. The obstetrician administers the shot, saying that although research has shown it’s not very effective at that point, they still like to follow through with it. Concerned about what’s going on with her body, Sha’Meika asks the doctor whether a D&C, also known as dilation and curettage, a surgical procedure often performed after a first-trimester miscarriage, would be needed. The doctor told her it wouldn’t because things seemed to be taking their natural course. The doctor says they will follow up in April for her annual as scheduled, and that was it. The medical staff showed little compassion or concern for her health or the child she’d lost.

The following week, the obstetrician called again and told Sha’Meika that her blood work showed that her factor V Leiden, a mutation of one of the clotting factors in the blood, was abnormal and could be related to her miscarriages. She was referred to a hematologist. However, that appointment was more of the same. The hematologist did more blood work but told Sha’Meika that she couldn’t find anything of concern.

Sha’Meika, advocating for her health, said that her nail beds began to appear dark. It looked like blood was clotting under her nails, and she wondered if it was related to the miscarriages. The hematologist glanced at her hands, didn’t acknowledge her concern, and told her she was good to go. Sha’Meika decided to find a new obstetrician, but everyone she called was not taking Medicaid patients.

Sha’Meika gave up on Medicaid altogether. She would rather pay out of pocket than receive inadequate care. Her dramatic experiences drove her, not to mention her Medicaid coverage, to providers.

Silvia Garcia is a former intercultural elementary school teacher. Intercultural teaching establishes a more creative and healthy learning environment where students learn to accept and respect differences and work with and support classmates who are different. It’s beautiful to mesh cultures, understand how people live in other countries, and support those who integrate their customs and beliefs in a new place.

Teaching exposed Silvia to constant changes and challenges. Working with young children daily could be cumbersome, but it was nothing compared to her biggest obstacle – living without healthcare. The cost of medical insurance is just too expensive for her to afford.

Silvia is currently unemployed and hasn’t received any options to take care of the medical assistance she needs long-term financially. The high costs associated with insurance and out-of-pocket expenses are unfathomable, so much so that Sofia declined to go to the hospital after two car accidents. The car wrecks and the decision not to see a doctor have negatively impacted her health, but Sofia doesn’t feel like she has a choice.

Vision impairment compounds Silvia’s poor health. She has visited an optometrist, but the doctor’s recommendation was one she may never be able to see — a cornea transplant. The procedure would remove either the entire or partial thickness of the diseased cornea and replace it with healthy donor tissue. The process relieves eye pain and cloudy and blurry vision.

Silvia is making do with the vision and health she has to carry on. She couldn’t imagine going into more debt and adding more stress to the added financial burden. Silvia loved being a teacher, but unfortunately, most careers of passion that make a difference in the community often don’t offer much to live on, let alone save for the future. She longs for a healthcare system in Mississippi that will not only appreciate her contributions to the community but will step up and provide care simply because she’s a human being.

A person’s insurance is crucial in determining what kind of care they will receive. Being insured comes with more treatments, options, and at times a higher quality of care. On the other hand, being uninsured comes with a lot of uncertainty, especially regarding what options are available to you. Andrea Johnson is well aware of the difference between the two.

In 2016, Andrea noticed a lump in her breast which she initially dismissed until she saw another. When she originally went to the hospital after noticing the lump, her doctor scheduled her for a mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy, all within a week, because they were concerned with the results of each. After the biopsy, her doctor gave her a package and scheduled her to see a surgeon who told her she had been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. After a diagnosis, her surgeon and oncologist explained to her what everything meant and her treatment plan.

With a diagnosis and plan in place, Andrea had a double mastectomy in January 2017. She elected to have both breasts removed to mitigate the chance of cancer returning, followed by reconstructive surgery. Andrea underwent chemotherapy for the rest of the year and took the chemo pills as instructed. By the end of the year, she was cancer free.

Although Andrea’s chemotherapy made her sick, she pushed herself to work. As a mother of two and a grandmother, Andrea is naturally a caring person. She enjoyed working as a CNA and being able to help others, so even though it was a struggle at the time, she wanted to work.
Since she was employed, she had employer-sponsored health insurance throughout her cancer diagnosis. Being insured made her process of recovery smooth. She received all the care and treatments she needed without any complications. However, things were much different the second time around.

Unfortunately, Andrea was diagnosed with cancer again in 2021, and at the time, she still had insurance. The subsequent steps and treatment would be different from her last diagnosis. She did not require surgery this time. Her doctor explained that he couldn’t remove the cancer. They would have to hit it hard with chemotherapy and treatment. Andrea’s doctor was straightforward and honest, telling her that the therapy would make her so sick that she could not work. She was encouraged to start getting FMLA and other assistance programs together.

Andrea began her first treatment for her second fight with cancer on November 2, and she immediately began to feel sick. She found eating and drinking difficult and lost weight, but her doctor wanted her to continue her treatments to get better.

As Andrea continued her treatments, she began to feel weaker and weaker. After each treatment, she’d be sick until a day or two before the subsequent treatment. It began to be difficult for her to breathe. Any movement made her feel dizzy. She began to find it easier to stay in one spot because of the treatments’ impact on her. She lost 20 pounds in two weeks, lost her hair, and treatment caused her skin to get darker. She could see the difference in herself, putting her in a dark place.

While she was in the middle of her second battle with cancer, her job called to inquire about when she would return. Andrea told them the truth – she had no idea when she’d be healthy enough. Sometime later, they called Andrea in for a meeting, where she reiterated how sick she was. Shortly after, Andrea received a call from her job alerting her that a termination letter was coming. Andrea broke into tears because she knew this meant she was also losing her insurance.

Andrea was still getting treatments and knew keeping her insurance was essential to her recovery. They gave her the option to keep her insurance, but it came at $600 a month, which was too much for her to afford.

As Andrea was on her way to her next treatment, she received a call notifying her that she couldn’t come since she was uninsured. With no insurance, the doctor’s office gave her a number to call to get assistance to continue her treatments. Due to her circumstances, the representative gave her the help she needed to push her application through immediately.

Andrea could resume her treatments but had to go to a different clinic. However, she was able to complete her treatments and see improvement in her condition. She had to apply for Medicaid; even then, specific scans and medications she needed were not covered.

Andrea’s double encounters with cancer were very different experiences. Without insurance, Andrea felt like she didn’t matter. Having cancer or any illness, for that matter, is enough to worry about. It would help if you didn’t have to be burdened with getting treatment because you can’t afford it or do not have insurance.

Regina Lewis has three beautiful children, including two who happen to be adopted. Her kids have gone over two years without an annual checkup, and as a family, they’ve had to make difficult decisions about other yearly doctor’s appointments like trips to the dentist and eye doctor. Regina and her family have had a difficult time navigating the healthcare system. It has caused Regina and her husband to bounce around jobs as they try to find a solution to provide care for their growing children. 

Regina’s son Nathaniel was privately adopted when he was two days old. Nathaniel does not qualify for Medicaid programs because he was not adopted through Child Protective Services. Being ineligible for Medicaid and state programs left Nathan without any health insurance. The only time he was covered was through his birth parents’ employers. 

Regina’s insurance covered Nathaniel until she resigned from her job to complete her internship requirements for her social work degree. It left Nathaniel and the rest of the family without health insurance. Her husband retired from his position at a local medical center to pursue employment elsewhere. It would allow him to receive his retirement benefits in addition to full-time benefits from another job to make up for Regina no longer having a job. She and her husband went through a couple of jobs looking for the best situation for the family. 

Regina started working for a small non-profit organization that was unable to offer health insurance. It sent Regina and the family to the Marketplace to look for health insurance, but it also presented challenges. The main hurdle was paying to have Nathaniel, who has astigmatism in both eyes, covered. Being denied Medicaid and CHIP, Nathan’s monthly premium for coverage was the same as that of Regina and her husband, which would have forced the family to pay more than $500 a month. Instead of paying the high premium, the family paid out of pocket for Nathan’s doctor visits and medical care. 

Although Regina’s two other children have coverage, they are adversely impacted by Nathan not having insurance. Regina does not want to exclude her children in any way, including doctor visits. Many of the family’s doctors require payment upfront. Taking the family to regularly scheduled doctor’s appointments is financially challenging because of the out-of-pocket cost for Nathan. For example, the whole family wears glasses, but glasses for Nathan alone can cost upwards of $300. They usually do not go at all or are very selective about when and how often they visit. 

Regina feels like an embarrassed mother. Even as a professional with a career now, Regina feels she is in the same position she was when she was 19, a single mother working at an ice cream shop with no health insurance. She still must choose what bills to pay and determine how to balance health and finance. This struggle shouldn’t exist, especially not for children.    

For example, the whole family wears glasses, but glasses for Nathan alone, because he has no coverage, can be upwards of $300. Due to the steep price of Nathan’s insurance, it is easier for the family to skip visits altogether or at least be selective in when and how often they go. 

Nathan not having health insurance limits his access to healthcare and all of his siblings’ access to care. There is no reason for children not to be able to go to the doctor as often as necessary. 

Regina feels embarrassed. At this stage, she shouldn’t have to choose what bills to pay and determine how to balance health and finance to keep her children healthy. 

Through local town halls and major summits held across the state, women crafted our policy agenda focusing on expanding childcare subsidies, affordable and comprehensive health care, jobs that pay living wages, pay equity and paid family leave, tuition assistance that covers childcare for single moms and protections from domestic violence.

The primary goals include building power and achieving progress toward an ambitious policy agenda on women’s economic security in a hostile political environment; strengthening, expanding, and engaging MWESI’s statewide network and leadership team; and deepening civic engagement of women of color across Mississippi. This policy agenda continues to be relevant to the women and families of Mississippi five years later.