Their situation shows how many Americans can be just a job away from financial crisis if a family member suffers a health care problem.
One family’s struggle
Every week Jose and Ramona Loyola somehow scrape together the $10 or $20 they send to the local hospital in Rockford, Ill., to pay off the costs of Ramona’s only trip to the emergency room, for a bladder infection.
It’s not easy, but they do it despite the fact that both UAW Local 2840 members lost their jobs and health insurance last year when their company, Atwood Mobil Products, closed its two Rockford plants.
“My father lost his job, too. We all worked at the same place,” Jose said. “My father’s unemployment runs out this week. He and my mother both have diabetes. Their blood tests cost them $200 each.”
Ramona’s emergency room bill was $5,000. At $20 a week, they’ll have that paid off in about five years. The bill covered a doctor’s exam, IV, X-ray, blood and urine tests, ultrasound image and a prescription.
When they had their union jobs, doctors’ visits didn’t cost the Loyolas a cent. Their situation shows how many Americans can be just a job away from financial crisis if a family member suffers a health care problem.
“Three weeks ago we had to let our old house go. It had six bedrooms,” Jose said in an interview in mid-August. The family now lives in a two-bedroom apartment.
Their children, Leticia, 6, and Jose Jr., 5, are covered by Medicaid. Leticia has recurring heart pains the doctor hopes won’t require surgery. Young Jose, who has asthma, depends on a machine to deliver medicine to his lungs.
Ramona has worked some day jobs, and Jose hopes a parts store job interview pans out. He already knows the job will pay much less than the $13 and $14.50 he and Ramona made, respectively, at Atwood.
But at least some benefits come with it. “I don’t know how good the insurance will be, but we’ll have something,” he said.
