She works in healthcare and pays $787 a month for insurance. She still can't afford her daughter's care.
Business Insider
February 26, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Cassenda Nelson, a single mother of four from Camilla, Georgia, faces overwhelming challenges despite having employer-sponsored insurance. Paying $787 a month for family coverage, she still struggles to afford her daughter’s complex medical needs, including daily insulin, emergency room visits, and specialist care. Her medical debt exceeds $10,000, leaving little for basic necessities like groceries or utilities. Nelson is one of over 100 million Americans with unresolved medical bills, a problem disproportionately affecting Black individuals and rural residents. Her story highlights how even those with insurance can be financially crushed by high premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
Nelson’s situation is not unique. Millions of Americans, including millennials and Gen Xers, carry significant medical debt, which often leads to personal bankruptcy or damaged credit scores. Collection agencies can report debts over $500 for at least a year to credit bureaus, and Nelson’s debt has already caused her credit score to drop. Despite working as a healthcare worker focused on cancer screening education, her job ties her family’s health insurance stability to her employment, making it difficult to miss work or cover additional expenses.
Living in a rural area adds another layer of struggle, with long travel times to specialists and frequent ambulance calls for her daughter, who has type 2 diabetes and seizures. Nelson often relies on her other children for care, bringing Amunet to work when necessary. Her financial strain extends beyond healthcare—she’s had to move to low-income housing and struggles to pay bills, including utilities. Her story underscores the systemic challenges faced by Black families navigating a healthcare system that remains inaccessible and unaffordable for many.
This issue matters to readers interested in business because medical debt impacts economic stability on a large scale. High healthcare costs not only strain individual budgets but also affect credit scores, housing opportunities, and financial security. Nelson’s case illustrates how
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Originally published on Business Insider on 2/26/2026