Health Action New Mexico

English Spanish
pills
Lower drug costs for New Mexico Support a Prescription Drug Affordability Board Read and Sign Here!

The Cancer Won't Kill Me, But All This B.S. Will

Levi Casas Mesilla Park created on Tue March 4, 2014

"My name is Levi Casas. Born and raised in Las Cruces, NM. Lived there all my life. Right now I am going through cancer. I am going through a struggle that I thought I would never have to deal with. I don’t know if I am going to receive the help I need or not." Levi currently does not have health insurance to cover his chemo therapy treatments. On top of the cancer, Levi had a heart attack 7 years ago and is diabetic.

On October 1, 2013 Levi showed up to an ISD office in southern New Mexico to get enrolled for Medicaid. Now, "I'm just waiting, " says Levi.

In regards to the new Medicaid expansion he stated, "There are not a lot of rules and regulations, but you can miss it by a few dollars and not get insurance. That is what scares me." He continued on to say, "I am afraid that if I don't have insurance I will not be able to continue treatments. That's the only thing that worries me. My body doesn't allow me to work. It's not the cancer that's killing me, but the Chemo. There are some days that I feel great, there are some days that I have no energy. It's frustrating. I'm not that old, but damn I wake up feeling 80. It's a struggle, but I have to keep going."