Since she was a child, Valeria has had severe chronic asthma. The town where she was born outside Fresno, California was surrounded by industries that emitted high levels of pollution. Many other members of her community -- which was mostly made up of low-income families -- also suffered from chronic asthma. While she no longer lives in that town, the effects it had on her lungs have stayed with her.
Now, Valeria must take two asthma steroid medications daily, as well as allergy medicines and an inhaler and that help alleviate her asthma. Besides a small co-pay, her health insurance covers the cost of the medications and Valeria is able to go about her daily life.
But in the past Valeria has been unable to access affordable health insurance, which was devastating for her health. Her three asthma medications cost about $700 per month, which she could rarely afford, and she could not afford the additional allergy medications. She was forced to ration her medicine and make daily sacrifices to try to afford as much of her medicine as possible. "I had to decide between how many groceries I could get and how much medication I could get or think about which bill collector was going to wait," she said.
Rationing her medications meant that Valeria struggled to breathe every day and would sometimes end up having to go to the emergency room for care. "It felt like my lungs were working at half capacity," she said. "Everything is affected in your life if you can't breathe."
For Valeria, access to her medication is absolutely critical, and when cost or other barriers get in the way, it can be devastating for herself and her family.
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