Vicki F. Sandia Park, NM created on Tue May 14, 2013

I am one of those persons who has seen the injustice of the current insurance system when my COBRA benefits ran out and I was without insurance for the first time in 28 years and was denied an individual insurance policy by the same insurance company (Presbyterian Health Plan) that had previously provided me insurance through my COBRA coverage.

I am not poor, but I am not rich either. I applied for a plan with MEGA Insurance and was accepted with riders for preexisting conditions denying me coverage for them. I then applied to NMHIA that issued me an individual plan for the same insurance company and doctor (Presbyterian Health Plan) I had under my COBRA continuation plan. I have faced huge premium increases for 4 years and now pay 54% of my gross salary for medical insurance. My adult uninsured daughter spent 4 hours in the UNM Emergency Room last night for severe head pains, leaving without seeing a doctor at 3AM this morning. She spent 11 hours in the UNM ER March 17, 2009 with a deep head gash and was not given care because stitches had to be provided within 8 hours. This is what thousands of New Mexicans face. Or like me, they pay huge premiums for insurance because we dare not go without insurance.