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Surprise insurance spike
The
Rodriguez
Family
Without full-time employment and the benefits that come with it, the Rodriguez family relies on subsidies from the NY State of Health marketplace. Maria and Carlos had not been following the news closely and were unaware that Congress had failed to extend enhanced tax credits. Consequently, they were blindsided by their first bill: instead of the $500 they had budgeted, the same plan now cost $850.
Struggling to manage this $350 monthly increase, they were torn between their absolute need for coverage—especially for Mateo—and their financial limits. To make ends meet, Maria considered taking on more shifts or even a second job cleaning houses. They even weighed the difficult decision of halting the $200 they sent home monthly to family in Puerto Rico. The entire situation was incredibly stressful.
Getting WellConnected
Maria's friend Rosa suggested Maria look into Medicaid for the kids. Someone at the local community center had helped her, she said. After work, Maria stopped by and was introduced to Jesse.
Jesse has been working at the community center for five years and like Maria moved to the US from Puerto Rico about 10 years ago.
Jesse initially helped the family lower monthly health plan costs by enrolling the children in Medicaid. After listening to Maria’s struggles and concerns about both Mateo’s condition and their family health, Jesse used WellConnected to connect Maria to an asthma educator that could do a home assessment, as well as provide support.
She also provided Maria with the name of a local food pantry, where she could pick up a bag of seasonal fruits and vegetables, no questions asked. By moving the kids onto Medicaid and keeping coverage just for the two adults, the family saved $100 a month on insurance — and even more on groceries.”
The best thing is that Maria met Jesse, who she can now call on when she has future needs.
Economic
Health
Daily living
Community connection
Family personas and images are AI-generated composites representing common situations the WellConnected service supports. Not depictions of real individuals.