Gary Can Now Rest from His Insurance Mix-Up

First Presbyterian Church of Orlando custodian Gary says, “I really appreciate it. It took a worry off me.”

Gary, who is a custodian at First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, had just received a medical bill that he wasn’t sure how he was going to pay. He intended to take responsibility for it one way or another, but it was just eclipsing the resources he had. Then our Heart of the City Foundation donors stepped in to help. Now Gary is relieved and able to focus on the rest of his bills. 

Gary’s rent had just nearly doubled. And it was time for him to get a preventative colonoscopy. 

Before his rent was raised and the colonoscopy, he was already living paycheck-to-paycheck, unable to grow any savings. But earlier this year, he got a raise from the church. He started saving. He says, “I was doing good. It was a nice raise.” 

Then his landlord raised his rent, and he was back to almost living paycheck-to-paycheck. Around the same time, Gary needed to get a colonoscopy. He did his best to do his due diligence to find a doctor in his insurance’s network. He called almost a dozen doctors, asking them if they would be in-network. And he thought he’d found one.

He did the colonoscopy prep. He got the colonoscopy. And a few weeks later, he received a hefty bill. 

Bewildered and overwhelmed, Gary called the doctor’s office, and he called his insurance company, trying to understand what had happened—he says, “They said that the network had changed.” 

Rent was enough to think about. Now he had this medical bill that frankly he couldn’t really pay. 

As the due date for the bill neared, he resolved to try to set up a payment plan, despite knowing that what he could afford wouldn’t even be the minimum monthly payment the doctor’s office would agree to. He showed the bill to Tam in First Presbyterian Church of Orlando’s HR and told her he was getting ready to pay it. 

Gary says, “She told me to hold on, and three days later she told me the Heart of the City was paying it. Oh! When they told me that, it was a relief. It surprised me. It took a load off my shoulders because I was trying to set up a payment plan but I could’ve only done $15-$30 a month, which they wouldn’t even accept.” 

Now Gary is doing well! He’s so thankful for all the support he has received and continues to receive from the church, and now for the support he’s received from our donors as a part of the Heart of the City Foundation.