Despite having health insurance, my mom couldn’t afford the medication that could have saved her life. | Opinion
My mother was an early childhood educator with health insurance, yet she struggled to afford asthma medication and tragically passed away when I was 16. We need reforms to prevent others from experiencing such a loss.
After the murder of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, a significant conversation regarding the role of insurance companies in restricting access to essential healthcare has surged online. Although I do not support the violence against Thompson, I find the ongoing discussion deeply personal and relevant.
On February 15, 2012, my mother, Janet, passed away from issues arising from an asthma attack just a month after I turned 16. The loss of my mother is the most profound and painful experience of my life, yet her death symbolizes more than just personal grief—it represents a predictable and preventable outcome of long-standing health care inequities perpetuated by the U.S. health insurance sector.
Even though my mother had comprehensive insurance through her job, she faced hurdles accessing the inhalers required to manage her condition. Complicated prior authorization processes and steep co-pays enforced by her insurance company made the life-saving medications financially unattainable, costing her hundreds of dollars monthly, far exceeding what she could afford as a teacher.
Often, as a single mother, she was forced to skip her medications just to keep a roof over our heads and ensure we had utilities like heat and electricity. To cope with her asthma, she relied on a mix of over-the-counter drugs, borrowed inhalers from colleagues, and outdated nebulizer treatments of mine. This resulted in her health steadily declining.
My mother deserved better. She deserved to live.
At just 12 years old, I had to watch in despair as my mother lost consciousness and her skin turned an alarming shade of blue from lack of oxygen. I recall desperately pleading with the paramedics to save her, even as I feared the worst.
After an agonizing night of worry, we discovered she would survive that episode. However, due to the lack of affordable health care options, her brief hospital stay only provided temporary relief. Without access to all of her necessary medications, we were left anticipating the next crisis.
When that crisis inevitably arrived on that cold night in 2012, I was devastated but not completely shocked.
In the weeks leading up to my mother’s death, I had begun an early college program, confident that my home life would remain stable. But after her passing, I had to part with my pets, pack my belongings, and adjust to life without a permanent home.
During those initial months, I often instinctively reached for my phone to call her for guidance, only to remember there would be no comforting voice waiting for me. Over a decade later, I may no longer reach for the phone, but my grief endures.
My mother was devoted, compassionate, and deeply invested in everyone she cared for, from friends to the children she taught in afterschool programs. She was vibrant and loved unconditionally. My mother deserved better. She deserved to live.
We can create a better health care system
While my mother’s situation was tragic, it is important to note that it is not an isolated case. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in certain states, as many as 33% of adults with asthma report financial barriers to accessing critical care.
Though insurance can help reduce these barriers, it does not eliminate them altogether. Even insured individuals face high co-pays, restrictive formularies, and unnecessarily complicated prior authorization processes, all of which contribute to the suffering and loss experienced by families like mine.
However, change is possible. Throughout my mother’s life, several policy shifts could have led to a different ending. Reforms in the U.S. health insurance system, especially regarding drug pricing and prior authorization practices, are urgently needed and have the potential to save lives like my mother’s.
We need to establish a healthcare system that guarantees access for everyone.
Access to healthcare should be seen as a fundamental aspect of human dignity rather than merely an opportunity for profit.
Though we cannot change what our family has experienced, we have an opportunity right now to push for reforms that can assist those still facing challenges in this nation. By joining forces, we can work towards ensuring that no one else endures the deep and lasting grief that we have.
Eri Solomon is a Boston-based counselor, writer, and activist. Their work has appeared in outlets such as the Huffington Post, Pediatrics, and JAMA Internal Medicine.
