Help Molly with medical bills for aneurysms

Molly is facing more medical debt and unpaid time off work to deal with her brain and renal artery aneurysms diagnosis. She is self-employed, meaning her health insurance EXTRA EXTRA sucks, and medical bills are stacking up--more than $25k since last year.

This will help relieve some of the additional stress caused by high premiums, deductibles, and medical bills that her insurance refuses to cover. 

 

Quick background:

 

Molly went to the ER in the fall of 2020 with severe head and neck pain. The doctors told her to "take aspirin" and sent her home. She went back again a few days later, also with extremely high blood pressure. In the weeks after, she was finally diagnosed with a right carotid artery dissection (a life-threatening issue) and a left carotid artery aneurysm--the arteries that connect the heart to the brain. Both aneurysms are in her brain.

 

After still having symptoms (and pushing for more answers and testing), in January 2022 Molly had CT scans of her head, neck, chest, and abdomen and was also diagnosed with renal artery aneurysms and Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD) in her renal arteries. 

 

She saw cardiovascular specialists at the Mayo in February and an FMD specialist in Cleveland in March. They suspect her carotid artery aneurysms and dissection were also caused by complications from FMD , and possible complications from a rare form of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS).

She takes several medications to keep her blood pressure low and prevent strokes. Molly continues to learn more from specialists about the next steps and any additional treatments. 

 

How can you help?

 

Molly has already met her out-of-pocket deductible for in-network providers ($5,000) for this year. Yet even after meeting that, she still has to pay 20 percent of all visits, tests, and treatments. She has also had to see specialists out of network—because the disease is so rare that only a few specialists in the world provide good care for FMD patients.

Additionally. her insurance has denied a handful of claims, like essential MRIs and ultrasounds and payments to radiologists, because "she already had them once this year."

Including her premiums ($500 a month), deductibles, co-pays, and treatments her insurance won't cover, Molly's medical costs have reached more than $25k since last year. She's currently bouncing the bills around on credit cards.

 

Any amount you can donate is helpful and generous, and we thank you! We are grateful to all the great folks who have donated so far and helped Molly see specialists in Cleveland!

 

Advocate for Medicare for All

 

Molly wants you to know that she feels luckier than so many people because she has health insurance (even though it's shitty health insurance), and the ability to advocate for herself, do the research and find specialists in rare diseases. And while she feels uncomfortable asking for help or donations, she acknowledges that the health care system is the ultimate pits and forces people, even with insurance, into bankruptcy.

The only way to build truly just health care systems is through Medicare for All, where everyone has the access and care they need to live the healthier lives they deserve.

 

You can also help Molly and others by advocating for health care justice!

 

THANK YOU! ❤️❤️