Nebraska Stories: The Cost of Surviving

By Brooke Nykamp

Before I was even a legal adult, I had the guilt of putting an immense amount of debt on my parents shoulders, including a one night stay that added up to $27,000 after insurance. I then carried the weight of my dad’s company being kicked off insurance because they found a loophole.

Hospital visits were frequent as we tried to discover what was going on, and I had the fear of a life consumed by medical debt that I could never hope to pay off.

At age 20, I had an extreme nervous system attack, leading to months of excruciating pain. Then I eventually had a seizure, where I lost oxygen to my spine and woke up unable to use my body or even sit up without passing out.

I was in a rehabilitation center that, while great, cost $10,000 daily due to the intensive care I needed.

This was when I decided to join Medicaid as there was no possible way for this to be reasonably paid by us alone.

It was not easy to be approved, or stay approved, but it was absolutely life changing. It allowed me to seek the care I needed without worry of not being able to afford it. I didn’t have to wait until it was dire to go to the emergency room, and I was able to see the specialists I needed in order to prevent further medical emergencies, which, truthfully, ends up saving a lot of money.

It still is often a fight between my doctors and insurance, as even with prior authorization, they refuse to cover anything they do not deem “medically necessary.” Unfortunately, this includes my continuous glucose monitor used for my Type 1 diabetes, which lowered my A1C over five points. It also includes my capsule thyroid meds that I require after a total thyroidectomy due to cancer this year, the only kind that digest with my paralyzed stomach.

I am very thankful to be eligible for a low income program through my hospital that allows me to get these expensive treatments that are not covered.

Regardless of its problems, mostly due to underfunding, I am incredibly lucky to be on Medicaid.

I know multiple people that were not qualified after turning 26, and passed away due to rationing their insulin.