It’s been just a few weeks since the Cover America Tour interviewed Cindy in Fargo, ND, but we’re sad to report her family’s tough situation has gotten even tougher in that short amount of time.

In July, Cindy told us she wasn’t sure what she’d do when her COBRA benefits expired. But as it turns out, the money ran out before the COBRA did.

She says: “I have fought so hard and spent so many thousands of dollars this year just trying to keep it up [paying health insurance premiums]. So, all that money is gone and for what?? No retirement account left and no money either.”

Working for a temp agency when we last saw her, Cindy was hopeful about finding a job with benefits to ease the strain of the $600 monthly premium on her family’s budget – a high price tag that didn’t include coverage for her husband. But the temp work dried up and the job market is tight. Without a steady paycheck, continuing to pay the premiums chewed through her retirement savings quickly.

Cindy will do whatever it takes to hang onto her health insurance – as a cancer survivor, she feels there’s not much of a choice. Once she loses her coverage it’ll be nearly impossible to obtain health insurance with that kind of pre-existing condition.

This month Cindy and her two daughters are covered – but it was only by the grace of a “miracle,” as she put it. On the brink of cancelling her COBRA insurance, she was given loans by family and friends to keep them insured for another 30 days.

But the close of September will bring the family right back to where it was pre-miracle. Borrowing money is not a long-term plan to sustain their health insurance costs and besides, Cindy noted, now they are further in debt to repay the loans.

She questions whether or not scraping together the funds to hang on to the coverage was the right thing to do, but at least has peace of mind for one more month. Come October though, she knows they’ll be struggling again to accept the unacceptable, “letting go of the idea health insurance”.

It’s a complete change in mindset for this family that for so long has sacrificed so much in order to keep their health care coverage intact. A lack of job security compounded by a loss of retirement security means they are battling day-to-day in their fight to hang onto some sort of health security.

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