Texas Army Vet And Wife Considering Divorce Due To Healthcare

An Army veteran and his wife living in Texas are considering getting a divorce so they can afford healthcare to take care of their disabled daughter. People around the United States are struggling to afford healthcare for not only themselves, but their families as well. One example is Maria and Jake Grey, a couple living in Sanger, Texas. The Army veteran and his wife are struggling to make ends meet with the never ending, high-cost medical bills to family pays for their daughter Brighton. Brighton has a genetic chromosomal disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, which affects many parts of the 6 year-old's body. Symptoms include delayed growth and development, along with hearing and visual impairment that the young girl suffers from. She also has seizures and needs round-the-clock care. The girl's mother said caring for her daughter has been like having a newborn for the past 6 years.

The family says that they do all they can to put their daughter's health first, but financially they are having difficulty keeping up with the mounting medical bills. This had led the happily married couple to consider the drastic decision of divorcing for the sake of their daughter's health insurance. Jake says about 30% of his $40,000 income goes towards his daughters medical bills, even with insurance. Out of pocket, the family pays about $15,000 each year which has led to them struggling to survive. There is state assistance that is available, but the wait lists are long, with some waiting 14 years. On one list the family is on, the Greys are number 59,979.

This is why the couple says they feel like divorce could be the solution to help them get the care for their daughter that they need. If the couple was to divorce, on paper Maria would be a single, jobless mother of two and would finally qualify for Medicaid.  Dr. Thad Miller, a health care policy expert at UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth, says the family is in a tough spot. Dr. Miller also says what they're paying for healthcare is extremely high and "speaks to our need to really rethink what we do and how especially for the most vulnerable." The shocking situation the Greys are facing is one that many other families in the United States are facing and may face more in the future, with no real resolution in the near future. The couple says they see no other option at this point.