Americans with rare health conditions face some of the highest health care costs. For Georgians such as Connie Grady’s daughter, Maureen, Medicare is the only way to afford these lifesaving medications.
![Photo shows Connie Grady smiling at the camera in front of a painting]()
Connie Grady is pictured in August 2022. (Photo credit: Connie Grady)
Connie’s daughter, Maureen, is 1 of 300 people in the world diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called subcortical band heterotopia, with a secondary diagnosis of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Maureen has seizures that require expensive medication and therapies. Before insurance, Maureen’s medications cost around $50,000 per month. Connie describes the costs of her daughter’s care as nothing short of horrific. While she had private insurance, the out-of-pocket costs averaged $600 for one medication and $1,200 for the other. But since enrolling in Medicare in 2013, Connie’s family can better manage her daughter’s prescription drug costs. Since Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, Connie is relieved that her daughter’s medications will continue to be affordable for her family.
Here is this beautiful girl who … can't survive without drugs. By the grace of God, we can keep her alive. You never see the enormity of the impact this has on an entire family. We are fortunate; most families don't get through diagnoses like these due to the immense financial stress.
Connie Grady
While some Republicans in Congress propose privatizing Medicare and jeopardizing coverage for people with disabilities and older people, the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act strengthens Medicare, ensuring families such as Connie’s are protected from high health care costs.
Read more stories on how recent legislation has benefited Americans
This collection features stories from people in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and New Hampshire whose lives have been improved by the legislation passed during the Biden administration’s first two years.