Bethel Mom in Health Care Ad Doesn't Have ObamaCare (Yet)

Bethel High grad and former resident (she and her 3-year-old son recently moved to Ridgefield) Jessica Byrnes — Jessica B. in the Access Health CT spot — said she agreed to do a commercial for the state health care exchange in order to raise awareness about the difficultly some Americans have acquiring affordable health insurance.

The ad was shot this summer, when Byrnes' son still did not have health insurance. He was conditionally accepted into the Husky Health program a month ago, however the process has been trying, according to Byrnes, and the Husky plan does not provide enough coverage.

They have yet to apply through Access Health CT for insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), pending the result of a court case with the child’s father.

“There are people who get up and go to work every day and pay taxes but can’t bring their son to a neurologist,” Byrnes said, explaining that she did the commercial to raise awareness and not in support of any specific plan or political angle.

When her son was 2 years old a doctor recommended that he visit a neurologist for a brain scan. At that time, Byrnes was still legally married to the father and did not meet the income requirements to qualify for Husky Health.

After the divorce was finalized, Byrnes applied for Husky again but the application sat in limbo.

“People who have applied, their applications haven’t been opened for months,” she said, citing budget cuts at the administrating agencies.

After speaking with an attorney in Ridgefield, they were accepted into Husky Health about a month ago but Byrnes would like to have access to all the options available under the new health care exchange.

She is currently involved in a court case with the father for financial assistance (child support) and, if successful, will probably enter a higher income bracket — making her ineligible for Husky but likely low enough to qualify for subsidies under ObamaCare.

With reports of problems with the site sprouting up since it was launched, if and when the time comes to apply, Byrnes said she will check back with Bethel Patch about the process.

Either way, her goal is the same.

“I’m a real person in this country that is uninsured,” she said. “I wanted to make people aware of how difficult it is.”

Have you tried to get insurance through Access Health CT? Reach out to Aaron@patch.com to talk about your experience.