My name is Krisy, I am in my 30s, and I live in Delhi, NY. Three years ago, my husband was driving a dump truck while finishing school, and I was a stay-at-home mom with our first son. We were overjoyed to discover that I was pregnant again, and then distraught to learn that the insurance we had been paying for through my husband’s job did not cover anything whatsoever related to prenatal or maternity care. We were making about $30,000 per year - just barely too much to qualify for Medicaid, but still living paycheck to paycheck. We couldn’t possibly have afforded even a normal labor and delivery, let alone the additional medical help I needed during the difficult pregnancy.

Our saving grace was the ACA - Obamacare. We were able to get insurance through the New York State exchange and safely have our second son. Without the ACA, I don’t know what would have happened to us. Bankruptcy would have been a best-case scenario. Instead, my husband was able to finish school, get a better job with real insurance, and we are now thrilled to be able to help pay taxes to support others in need.

But now, prices on the exchanges keep rising, and fewer people can afford the route we took. I strongly support the New York Health Act to make sure everyone has affordable healthcare and no one falls through the cracks.