the uninsured – Page 3 – The Health Care Blog

Uninsured Aurora Victim Could Face $2 Million In Medical Bills

Jul 25, 2012• 15

By Steven Perlberg

Caleb Medley was shot in the eye in the Aurora movie theater shooting and remains in the intensive care unit in an induced coma. Medley sustained the terrible injuries only days before his wife Katie was due to give birth to a baby boy they plan to name Hugo. She now joins him in the same hospital — just one floor away — where she was set to be induced.

But even if Caleb makes a full recovery and meets his son, what happened late Friday evening at the movie theater could ruin the young family’s finances. Caleb doesn’t have health insurance, and his medical bills could amount to $2 million, according to his family.

Longtime friend Michael West has created a website to raise money for Caleb, who has been an aspiring stand-up comedian since the eighth grade. “He needs to get better because he needs to be a dad,” West said.

According to the website, Caleb performed in Denver’s biggest stand-up contest at the Comedy Works on July 18, advancing to the next round. The next night, Caleb and Katie decided to treat themselves to the midnight movie before the couple “officially” became parents.

In addition to the fundraising website, friends have set up a Facebook page dedicated to Caleb’s full recovery.

How the United States Supreme Court Saved My Life

Jul 11, 2012• 12

By Spike Dolomite Ward

Not to be overly dramatic, but for me the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act was a matter of life and death. Because the law was largely upheld, I will be able to continue receiving treatment for breast cancer.

I was one of the early beneficiaries of the law. When I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer late last year, I had no health insurance, which meant my options were extremely limited. No insurer would pick up someone in my circumstances. But luckily, the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan had already kicked in, and it made it possible for me to purchase insurance under a government program.

I was uninsured not because I’m a lazy, freeloading deadbeat but because my husband and I are self-employed. We had been purchasing health insurance on the individual market along with 6% of the rest of the population. But after exhausting all of our resources trying to keep up with premiums of $1,500 a month, we had no choice but to cancel it.