This week my opponent launched a personal attack on my past. I want you to
hear the truth directly from me.
Ever since I entered this race, I have explained that I want to go to
Tallahassee so that I can fight for middle-class families. I explained that as a
working mom, I know what it is like to try to make ends meet and to raise your
family. I explained that I have struggled to pay my bills and for health
care.
The story of how it came to be that nearly two decades ago I had to file for
bankruptcy is one that says a lot about
who I am and what my priorities will be
in the Florida Senate.
As a full-time student in the 1990s I was the proverbial “starving graduate
student” – trying to get by on a modest stipend. Making ends meet in those
years was tough. These financial difficulties were exacerbated by the high cost
of health care insurance.
During this time, I was experiencing significant health issues. The health
insurance I needed to cover the costs of my tests and treatment was too
expensive for me to afford — almost as much as my monthly rent. So for several
years I took on debt to pay for the insurance. Without the insurance my medical
bills could have skyrocketed, and I was terrified of losing the insurance and
later being denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
After the surgery, my health was better than it had been in years, and I got
a job with benefits. Yet, even with my increasing salary, the debt from years of
living on the margins was too much. Ultimately, I filed for bankruptcy 16 years
ago.
Today, I am healthy, and my family has no debts, except for the mortgage on
our home in Pinellas County. I am happy to say my daughter Peggy was born in
2005, and I had no complications, thanks to the amazing medical care I received
in
St. Petersburg.
The medical problems and financial problems I experienced as a young woman in
the 1990s taught me a lot and have given me a passion to fight for everyone’s
ability to access higher education and affordable health care.
For the millions of Americans who struggle just to make ends meet, the high
cost of health care can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. In fact,
medical bills are the number one reason cited by Americans when they file for
bankruptcy. According to the US Census, 20% of Floridians have no health
insurance, the 3rd worst rate in the country. We must do more to
ensure Floridians have access to care. Now you know why I am so passionate about
accepting the Medicaid expansion funding.
There are those who would prefer we go back to the days when insurance
companies made all of our health care decisions, denying those with pre-existing
conditions from receiving coverage, charging women more than men strictly based
on gender, or capping the amount of coverage you can receive.
I’d prefer we keep moving forward, looking for solutions to improve the
system, and ensuring that no one has to worry about losing it all due to illness
or injury.
I am running for Florida Senate because right now, middle-class families
across Tampa Bay are struggling. And instead of making it easier, Tallahassee is
making it harder for families to make ends meet, to find good jobs, and our kids
aren’t getting the education they deserve. Tampa Bay deserves a Senator who will
get up and go to work every day to support middle-class families who are still
struggling to recover from the recession. And, with your help, that is exactly
what I will do.
Thank you for your continued support, Judithanne
