Editor: My family urgently needs affordable options for health care coverage. Caring for an older adult is a reality for many families, including mine. I am the caretaker to my elderly disabled mother, Doña Teo. Despite the fact that her entire existence is 100% dependent on me, I cannot add my mother to my health insurance plan given that she is neither my child nor my spouse, and those are the only eligible dependents.
The next hurdle comes in the way of a five-year ban on Medicaid enrollment that’s required to prove continuous legal permanent residency for immigrants who are otherwise eligible. However, after waiting, my mom was still denied Medicaid. Now, because the system lists her as eligible for Medicaid even though she was denied, we cannot receive quotes from carriers in the exchange. In the interim, my elder remains without coverage. A more affordable Colorado Option is really our only hope.
The possibility of having accessible, high-quality health coverage in Colorado would be a dream come true for families like mine. It would mean that my mother could finally receive the coverage she needs. The Colorado Health Insurance Option is a necessary step forward for all individuals and families who otherwise remain at the margins.
— Victoria Gómez Betancourt, via letters@sentinelcolorado.com