CRITICAL CONDITION - HECTOR'S STORY

Hector Cardenas, a warehouse manager in Los Angeles with diabetes, opted to amputate his infected foot before losing his job and medical benefits. When his insurance coverage lapses, he struggles to repair his broken temporary prosthesis on his own. He cannot walk properly or earn money without a permanent prosthesis, but he cannot afford the permanent prosthesis without a job that offers basic medical benefits. Adding insult to injury, Hector’s old insurance company retroactively denies reimbursement for his original prosthesis, and saddles Hector with a $9,000 bill. He falls five months behind on rent and is forced to move into a single room in a nearby motel. After a year without finding a job, Hector’s perseverance pays off and he is hired as a warehouse manager at a new company. He hopes that he can stay healthy enough to survive the probation period until he qualifies for insurance, but he still worries that the company’s policy will not cover his pre-existing conditions.