Mountain State Spotlight – A blurry eye and a numb foot. Those were Rachel Montgomery’s earliest symptoms when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis about nine years ago. When she’s on medication, she lives normally. Without it, she loses her balance. Fatigue sets in and numbness spreads throughout her body. Read the full article.
Montgomery is one of approximately 382,000 nonelderly West Virginians living with a preexisting condition.
“I remember, probably four or five years ago, seeing the list of what insurance companies consider preexisting conditions and it was over two pages long,” Montgomery, an Elkins resident, said. “Everyone in my family has something that’s considered a preexisting condition.”
Like many, Montgomery’s diagnosis is costly to treat. She says her medication alone costs nearly $70,000 a year, but her insurance makes it more affordable.
