By, Aaron Adelson
Aadelson@kcautv.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AAdelsonKCAU
With the health care reform law, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny you coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
That's a huge relief to one Siouxland family. They're calling Thursday a great day for America.
They say their roller coaster ride of emotions ended with the Supreme Court's decision. Brenda Heck begins each day swallowing 13 pills.
She suffers from a rare liver disease called Porphyria, it inflicts excruciating pain throughout her body.
"The attacks can go on for weeks, or months, it just depends. Actually, I'm bed ridden during those times," said Brenda Heck, Sioux City.
Brenda's medical bill totaled more than $100,000 last month. In 1996, her treatment was denied because the insurance company labeled her disease as a pre-existing condition.
"I had insurance. I was paying the premiums. We went into the hospital received treatments, three months later they were kicked back as a pre-existing condition and we had no coverage," said Tim Heck, Sioux City.
The Heck's then needed to pay a bank busting $70,000 out of pocket.
"Anybody that opposes the Obamacare law has never been, experienced a pre-existing condition, has never sat in an emergency room with a wife that's critically ill waiting while the uninsured are taking up the doctor's time, and the only reason they're there is because they have no insurance, and they have nowhere else to go," said Tim.
Heck woke up early Thursday morning, and anxiously waited to hear the Supreme Court's decision.
When the ruling finally came down, he was ecstatic.
"I gotta say I jumped up and down, I did," said Tim Heck.
Brenda says Tim even danced when the decision came down. The Heck's say they've lost a home and endured numerous hardships, because of the insurance company deeming Brenda's disease a preexisting condition.
