Last month, Florida Governor Rick Scott, a vehement opponent of the Affordable Care Ac (ACA), reversed himself and made a surprising declaration that he would accept federal funding to expand Medicaid if a bill were passed. Shortly after Scott’s announcement, Florida’s Senate Majority Leader also announced support of expanding Medicaid.



For healthcare workers, expanding Medicaid is a no-brainer and Florida’s conservative legislature is taking steps in the right direction, thanks to the constant swell of 1199SEIU activists making visits in the capitol and legislators’ local offices. But House Speaker Will Weatherford opposes the ACA, 1199SEIU members are working tirelessly to convince him and the House to pass Medicaid expansion.



In the month since the campaign to expand Medicaid was launched, many hospital and nursing home workers have stepped up to tell their stories. On March 18, Chester Frazier, a CNA at Terra Vista Health and Rehabilitation Center in Orlando, traveled to Tallahassee and told his. “I had the honor of speaking in support for Medicaid Expansion in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Committee. I told them I can’t afford healthcare for my spouse and support our family of five,” he explained.



“I told them about the toughest choice I had to make, which was when we first moved down to Florida four years ago. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, we were both employed at a nursing home and the employer’s health insurance company had a spending cap of $10,000, so once you reach $10,000 in healthcare costs, you’re responsible for 100 percent.” Breast cancer treatment is expensive, so the costs quickly added up. Once her costs reached $10,000, the Fraziers were on their own. Chester was left with few options. He decided to sacrifice his income in order to qualify for Medicaid so his wife could get the treatment she needed in order to survive.



Chester explains, “I figured out that I had to earn less in order to qualify for Medicaid. I left the full-time job at the nursing home and went to work for an agency as a part-time CNA. So, I took a cut in hours, which was hard because we still had to come up with $1,400 out of pocket before the Medicaid kicked in.”



Chester’s sacrifice for his family comes from his love for caregiving. “I feel that God is using me to help somebody else that needs help. I got into healthcare because I like helping people. It makes life worth living when I get looks of thanks from residents after helping them do things that we take for granted, like brushing our teeth or putting on shoes. Five days a week I care for nursing home residents, but if I get sick, I have to worry about whether I’m going to have medication. I have to worry if I’m going to be paying for 20 percent of hospitalization before insurance kicks in. That’s not right.”