{"id":11958,"date":"2025-10-06T04:09:04","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T04:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amissionofmercy.org\/arizona\/?p=11958"},"modified":"2025-10-07T05:11:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T05:11:35","slug":"marks-story-a-lifeline-in-a-time-of-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amissionofmercy.org\/arizona\/marks-story-a-lifeline-in-a-time-of-need\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark\u2019s Story \u2013 A Lifeline in a Time of Need"},"content":{"rendered":"
When Mark lost his insurance, Mission of Mercy Arizona helped him access life-saving insulin and care \u2014 free of charge and full of compassion.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n When 28-year-old <\/strong>Mark*<\/strong><\/em> was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a young adult, he was just starting college \u2014 and had no health insurance. After an emergency hospital visit, he was placed on AHCCCS (Arizona\u2019s Medicaid program), which helped him get his blood sugar under control and the care he needed. But when his income went slightly above the qualifying threshold, he suddenly lost his coverage.<\/p>\n \u201cI needed insulin, but I didn\u2019t have insurance anymore,\u201d Mark recalls. \u201cI was in a bind. My blood sugar was too high, and I knew I was at risk for ketoacidosis.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark found himself caught in a frustrating cycle of paperwork, long waits and unclear answers at the Arizona Department of Economic Security. \u201cI sat at DES for hours, filled out all the forms and heard nothing. I was running out of time and didn\u2019t know what to do,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n After a visit to the Emergency Department following an episode of high blood sugar, Mark was referred to the Mission of Mercy clinic in Chandler, Ariz., since he had no health insurance.<\/p>\n \u201cI came to the Chandler clinic three times \u2014 always to get insulin because I was between jobs and insurance. The cost out-of-pocket for insulin is well over $100,\u201d Mark explains. \u201cThey helped me take care of myself while I figured out a long-term solution.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Brad Smith<\/strong>, medical director at Mission of Mercy Arizona, says, \u201cMark\u2019s story is more common than people think. Even a temporary lapse in insurance can have serious health consequences, especially for someone managing a chronic illness like Type 1 diabetes. While we have many regular patients who are uninsured and use us for their primary care, we\u2019re also here to step in during critical gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Now working as an assistant restaurant manager and preparing for his wedding this October, Mark is on more stable ground \u2014 but he hasn\u2019t forgotten the help he received.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone at Mission of Mercy was so kind and driven by a genuine desire to help,\u201d Mark says. \u201cThis isn\u2019t about money or insurance \u2014 it\u2019s about caring for people when they need it most. I definitely plan to give back when I\u2019m able.\u201d<\/p>\n For now, he\u2019s looking forward to utilizing the healthcare coverage he has as one of the benefits of his new job.<\/p>\n Mission of Mercy was more than a clinic to Mark. It was a lifeline \u2014 one that helped carry him through a very challenging time with compassion, dignity and care.<\/p>\n *Patient\u2019s name and image have been changed to protect privacy.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Mark lost his insurance, Mission of Mercy Arizona helped him access life-saving insulin and care \u2014 free of charge and full of compassion. When 28-year-old Mark* was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a young adult, he was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":11967,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,1,26,174,58],"tags":[243,348,249,347,133,345,346],"class_list":["post-11958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-mission-of-mercy-arizona-dignity-digest","category-featured","category-homepage-blog","category-patient-story","tag-ahcccs","tag-arizona-department-of-economic-security","tag-chandler-clinic","tag-diabetes-1","tag-dr-brad-smith","tag-lifeline-coverage","tag-mark"],"yoast_head":"\n\n