"Pregnant and Losing Medical Care"

Hi, my name is Stephanie Beesing and you may have read about me in the recent Star Tribune article found here:

https://m.startribune.com/minnesota-woman-with-unpaid-bills-will-lose-doctors-after-she-gives-birth/600282094/?clmob=y&c=n&clmob=y&c=n

I feel really strange about setting up this GoFundMe but since the article came out I have been overwhelmed with an outpouring of love and support from friends, coworkers and complete strangers of people wanting to help so here I am.

Firstly, I'd like to give an update: my bankruptcy attorney called me this morning and had recieved contact from a couple readers of the Star Tribune who have SO GENEROUSLY given money which will be applied to my past due medical bills so that I will no longer have to worry about losing care or having to find another clinic. I don't even know where to begin to say THANK YOU. When Margaret called me with the news all I could do was cry. I am overwhelmed and in awe of people's generousity.

That being said, people are still asking for ways to help and first and foremost I want to encourage people to contact the State Attorney General and the clinics who have these policies: they need to change. I understand wanting to collect money they are owed but more affordable payment plans should be tailored to each individual instead of expecting a payment plan amount to be a one-size fits all, when that's just not how our lives and budgets are realistically set up. Especially when we are hard-working people and have medical insurance but the costs of specialists or continued care for chronic issues just keeps piling up before anyone can even get a chance to get ahead. And dismissing patients is not a way to do it either: ER and Urgent Care only access is not helpful when you have a chronic or ongoing illness that you need specialists for. I don't want this to happen again, to myself, and definitely not to anyone else. These policies need to change so I encourage you to help put pressure on these systems in place to help do that.

If you're still reading to this point and still want to do more to help, thank you so much. Even though it seems as if my past due amounts will be taken care of by the generosity of people like you, I am currently on un-paid maternity leave for at least the next 3 months and will still unfortunately have more medical debt coming up as I am being induced on Thursday (06/15/23-- high risk pregnancy, medically necessary induction due to Type 2 diabetes) and then post-natal care for me and our baby boy and diabetes follow ups. Also, because my husband will be the only income for awhile until we figure out daycare and if I can afford to return to work or if there's other avenues of assistance we will need a good cushion for bills for a little while. So if you feel compelled to help at all, any little bit helps.

Thank you so much again for all the love and support. XOXO

Stephanie L Beesing