GREENSBORO, N.C. — Bernice Debray will be the first to tell you age has taken a toll on her body. The joints don’t work like they used to, and a couple of strokes sure haven’t helped.
“I noticed one of my hands, my right hand, could hardly bend it,” Debray said.
Along with some issues with her hand, Debray also has some problems with her legs; the 71-year-old needs a cane to help with balance and mobility. Her doctor recently told her she couldn’t drive anymore for safety reasons.
“He (my doctor) stopped me from driving. My legs and hands don’t have full control of everything,” Debray said.
Navigating the world without being able to hop behind the wheel whenever you need to has certainly been an adjustment. Debray has been able to get rides from friends or family when she needs to go to the store or run errands. Her medical provider also paid for transportation to and from doctor visits.
However, when Debray was set to renew her health insurance late last year, she received some bad news: Her transportation will no longer be covered.
“My insurance company told me they don’t have a transportation allowance anymore,” Debray said.
The sudden change was going to be a serious issue for Debray. On a fixed income, she doesn’t have the extra income to pay for an Uber or taxi to and from her doctor’s appointments. Once she heard the news, Debray called WFMY News 2 for help.
“I was hoping you could find a loophole, maybe a misprint on the policy,” Debray said.
We contacted the insurance company and were told the company was no longer offering transportation.
“It’s a very big problem to me; like I said, I don’t drive since I’m disabled,” Debray said.
At that moment, it looked like Debray would have to figure out a way to have friends or family get her to doctor’s appointments, pay for a taxi or Uber, and cut other expenses or miss some appointments.
We then decided to have Debray call other insurance providers to see if they offer transportation. After a few calls, we found an insurance provider that would provide transportation for Debray. Earlier this year, she signed up with a new medical insurance company.
“It all worked out. I have my transportation and everything,” Debray said.
Debray has been on several doctor visits this year, and the transportation has worked out perfectly.