Former Heavy Equipment Operator and Excavator, 53 Uninsured

Interviewed May 2011

(oil on linen, 40 ins. x 30 ins.)

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This man is a former heavy equipment operator and excavator who, at the time of painting, was uninsured. Back in 1991, while insured with a large excavating company, the subject and his wife had twins that were three months premature. He did not know that his health insurance policy had a lifetime dollar limit for claims. The medical bills for his twins reached and exceeded that lifetime limit. Over several years, his premature twins' health care costs totaled over a million dollars.

The subject's wife quit her teaching job to care full time for their children. He took a second job and the couple sold a rental property to pay some of the twins' hospital bills. He was laid off after the crash of 2008.

With savings spent, and medical bills still looming, the couple went bankrupt. Attorneys for the hospital and mortgage company went after their primary residence. "We held on for as long as we could." Couple paid a portion of the mortgage payment every month, but in the end, they lost their home. Eventually, the couple also separated.

Later, the subject accumulated additional debt from back surgery and was diagnosed with a heart condition. He now lives in a trailer that he inherited from his mother.