Wife 10 years uninsured in TN. Any ideas?

I have been legally disabled since 2010. My wife and I married on Sept. 15, 2014. She had severe PCOS/Endometriosis/anemia/osteoarthritis since before we married, but it has progressively worsened over the years despite our best efforts.

Our monthly income is from my disability and is $963.

We attempted her disability from 2015-2016, were denied, appealed with a Senator overseeing the outcome of the case due to the circumstances (wrote letters and called Lamar Alexander about being too poor to pay for the needed medical proof beyond what the low-income clinics could show), and were denied. She is now ineligible for disability due to the 10 year rule.

Every year we have applied at healthcare.gov, we are incapable of paying the $700-$1000 a month coverage fee, so it kicks us to Tenncare. Tenncare then says our income is too low and "exempts" her from coverage as Tennessee did not expand Medicaid.

She spends over 80 hours a month in the bathroom with vomiting, diarrhea, and severe constipation/inflammation. She has 2-3 bleeding periods a month and rarely has any days with menstrual cramps. There are very few circumstances where she could even attempt a job until she gets adequate treatment. At this point she would consider a hysterectomy due to what she goes through.

We have found ways of massage and herbal/supplement techniques to make life less nightmarish.

We have called TN Justice and a multitude of other non-profits, as well as visited emergency rooms in the early years of our marriage.

I have strived to become capable of working to get her covered, yet am not capable thus far. My UHC Dual Complete SSDI coverage only covers me.

We visit the rural health clinic for pap smears and mammograms, which was a recent improvement, and she shows clear on those. We live about 70 miles from Nashville near Land Between The Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what can be done or ideas on how to get her covered in Tennessee or know of any organizations that help those in the Medicaid coverage gap?

submitted by /u/liventruth
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