FormeEca

Auburn native Formeeca Tripp knows firsthand the tough decisions that come with living and working in the coverage gap.

Formeeca Tripp watched her parents struggle with diabetes and heart disease. She has made efforts to follow a new path. But it hasn’t been easy. “I have been conditioned to put my health on pause to make sure my children are up to date with all of their health care and mental health needs,” she says. 

Formeeca lives in Auburn and is the mother of two children, one of whom was diagnosed with autism. She works full-time as a behavior specialist and part-time as an Uber driver to provide them both with medication they need, sometimes at a great cost to herself.

For a long stretch, she fell into the coverage gap. With all her “extra” money spent on her children’s health care needs, Formeeca found herself reporting to work with ailments such as tooth infections and pink eye. Recently, she gained coverage through her employer’s plan, but many people she knows are not so fortunate. Speaking from her own experience, Formeeca says Alabamians who can’t afford health insurance often work in public-facing jobs. 

“It’s the people who are working with the sick and elderly, working with your babies,” she said. “It’s us, out here, hands-on, making food, cleaning houses—it’s that gap of people, very important people. People who come into contact with thousands of other people. And you don’t want them to be healthy?”

Stories help to put a human face on the health care policy issues. By sharing your story, you help speak for people who may be facing issues just like yours.