Casee Releford is 19 years old and lives in Springfield. She works at a local clothing store that offers health insurance but she would have to pay more than half of her monthly paycheck for coverage, so she goes uninsured. Casee was on her father's insurance until she turned 19 but the plan didn't allow her to continue receiving coverage after high school unless she was attending college.
Recently, Casee was in the hospital for four days and she expects that this will result in a $15,000 bill that she will be paying off for a long time. She will also need outpatient treatment for a period of three weeks, costing $500 each day. Her recovery period will force her to reduce her working hours to part-time, putting access to healthcare even further out of reach for Casee.
"Something needs to be done to allow kids who are 19 to stay on their parents' health insurance, even if they aren't going to school full-time. Just because someone chooses not to go to college after high school doesn't make them a bad person. Young adults like me shouldn't be punished for that decision," Casee said.
