I almost died of sepsis without insurance. Medicaid saves lives like mine. | Opinion
Around 72 million Americans rely on Medicaid to access quality health care. People like me.
My Medicaid story began when I could barely get out of bed.
Every time l woke up, it was more difficult to sit up. I stuffed pillows under my neck and shoulders just so I could sit. Once sitting, I could slide my legs off the bed. Then came the tenuous tasks of standing and getting dressed. Going to work seemed impossible.
"You will weather this," I assured myself. There had to be some reasonable explanation: I sang too loud at karaoke. Maybe I had one shot too many. I told my pounding head that perhaps more sleep would help. Still, I pushed myself beyond my limits.
At the time, I lacked any health insurance.
One day, finally, on my 15-minute walk through snowy sidewalks, I realized the misery had to stop. I arrived 20 minutes late to my job. Two hours into my shift, I couldn't stand anymore.
I told my manager I didn't feel well. He took one look at me and told me to go home. If Uber was even a thing at that time, I wasn't aware of it. I packed up and set out on foot. I don't remember the walk home. I do remember lying down in the snow, crying.
I made it home before collapsing on the floor. When I awoke, I couldn’t lift my head. It took everything in me to roll over and grab my phone. I called my mom. She saved my life. I was incapable of walking without assistance. She put me in the car and took me to the hospital. Once we parked, she carried me inside.
That’s the last thing I remember before coming to almost a week later in my mother’s bed. I was confused. She and my brother told me that I had untreated strep throat that had caused sepsis – an infection that traveled through my bloodstream. I was within a few hours of dying because I waited to get care.
Medicaid allowed me to get the care I needed
Instead of being grateful that I was going to be OK, I was furious. Living on a shoestring budget, I had missed a week of work at a job that didn’t provide health insurance or paid sick leave. I was now going to be on the hook for thousands of dollars that I had no way of paying. I was going to lose my home. My phone had already been turned off during my week of fever dreams.
My mom sat me down and guided me through the Medicaid application. That moment was lifesaving. When I was approved, the program retroactively covered my medical bills. It also allowed me to access essential and preventive health care, like annual exams.
Now, I can get the medicine I need, including birth control. If I’m sick for any reason, I can get care. And that’s because of Medicaid.
President Donald Trump's tax bill, currently before Congress, would cut an estimated $625 billion from the program. In February, the U.S. House advanced a budget bill that would likely cut Medicaid by $880 billion. This would not only dangerously harm Iowans, it could cost Iowa more than $8 billion. The proposed changes significantly reduce federal funds, making it impossible for any state to overcome without cutting coverage and eliminating important benefits. Around 72 million Americans rely on Medicaid to access quality health care. People like me. And more than 650,000 Iowans.
We are at a tipping point in this country and state when it comes to health care. Medicaid allows working class Iowans and their families to get the vital health care they need. We must hold the politicians accountable. We must protect Medicaid.
Elizabeth Feldman lives in Des Moines, Iowa. This column originally appeared in the Des Moines Register.