Randee Willard and her two children

In today’s Utah Daily Chronicle (UofU Student newspaper) is a story about a young mother of two, named Randee Willard. While it is easy to quote the statistics regarding the growing healthcare crisis in Utah and the United States, it is often easy to forget the human faces behind this tragedy.

Randee Willard worked for the University of Utah when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Unfortunately, her diagnosis was made before her six month probationary period was up at her job. Therefore, she lacked both health insurance coverage and sick leave. In June, a few weeks following her brain surgery, she lost her job and any hope of receiving healthcare coverage from her employer. Her co-workers offered to donate some of their own sick leave, but the University refused citing their probationary policy for new employees.

Randee and her husband were forced to purchase group coverage through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Rconciliation Act (COBRA) while still coping with the aftermath of a significant illness and the loss of Randee’s income. They must pick up 100% of the premiums plus administrative fees of 102% according to the Chronicle article.

Fortunately, Randee’s surgery successfully removed the tumor. Unfortunately, there were some unexpected complications and like so many Utah families without health coverage her family is now facing the possibility of bankruptcy.

Next time you see an article containing all those statistics about the growing numbers of uninsured in Utah and the United States, or see us do it here, please remember behind each one of those numbers could be a story like Randee’s