Genetta McCall, a loving 61-year-old grandmother to eighteen grandchildren, is one of the thousands of Floridians who fall into the “coverage gap.” She is ineligible for Medicaid in Florida, and yet at the same time does not make enough income to qualify for a health care insurance subsidy in the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. Genetta worked as a housekeeper for most of her life, and as a result, developed severe arthritis in her back and knees. She also suffers from high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

“People like me who have worked our whole lives and taken care of other people and are now in our early 60s just hope and pray we can hang on till 65 to get health insurance again.”

When Genetta moved to Florida in 2018 to help take care of her grandchild, she lost the health insurance she had in Texas. Sadly, she has gone over a year without being able to see a doctor and attend to her urgent health needs, including needed X-rays to assess her worsening arthritis and the regular removal of the fluid from her knees, as well as needed medication. Genetta is wondering how she can survive another four years until she qualifies for Medicare.

“People like me who have worked our whole lives and taken care of other people and are now in our early 60s just hope and pray we can hang on till 65 to get health insurance again,” Genetta said.