Kansas Stories: Melinda

January 2025

Melinda, an interior designer, contractor, and musician, moved from Texas to Wichita in 2013.

Last April, Melinda left her job on the maintenance crew of a local health care facility after suffering an overuse injury in her arm. Melinda’s injury led to significant financial difficulties. She exhausted her savings and relied on the support of friends, family, and rent assistance from agencies to make ends meet.

“I’ve done everything I can to keep up all my bills,” she said. “I had a little bit of savings. That’s all gone.”

Despite these challenges, she managed to maintain her health insurance coverage, though the rising costs and reduced income posed constant threats.

Melinda’s health issues extended beyond her injury. Because of her past work in construction, she has had times where she needed an albuterol inhaler. She started experiencing some problems breathing and went to a clinic where she was told she needed to have x-rays and breathing tests because of suspected pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. Fortunately, further tests revealed her lungs were healthy.

“If I didn’t have this insurance, I couldn’t have found that out,” she said.

This experience underscored the critical importance of having insurance to access necessary medical care.

Maintaining insurance coverage for 2024 proved to be challenging for Melinda. The complexities of the insurance system, coupled with her fluctuating income, led to anxiety and uncertainty.

“It’s been very frustrating,” she said.

Despite her efforts, Melinda’s income did not meet the requirements to receive financial help on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace. She did not qualify for Medicaid, so she was left in the coverage gap, uninsured.

“Now I’m in the health care coverage gap because my income isn’t 100% of the poverty level,” she said.

Additionally, her ACA insurance premium increased from around $68 per month to approximately $160 per month. For 2025, since she no longer receives financial help, her payments would be $600 per month, an expense she cannot afford.

Melinda now finds herself in the coverage gap, along with tens of thousands of other Kansans.

Melinda’s story is a testament to the strength and perseverance of individual facing health care and financial challenges. Her journey underscores the importance of expanding Medicaid in Kansas to support those who fall in the coverage gap.

There are approximately 150,000 Kansans who would benefit from Medicaid expansion. Lacking access to affordable health care is significant for individuals and families in Kansas. People without health insurance often delay or forgo necessary medical care due to cost, leading to worse health outcomes and higher long-term health care costs.

In 2024, Melinda was lucky enough to be able to maintain her Marketplace insurance, but now, since her income has fallen, she will be in the coverage gap until she finds employment that puts her back above the threshold to qualify for subsidized Marketplace insurance. But because of the injury she suffered in her last job, she can no longer do the work she loved and has struggled to find employment to bring her income up.

Expanding Medicaid will provide a safety net for individuals like Melinda, ensuring access to essential health care services and improving health outcomes.