Ridgefield couple faces tripling healthcare costs as cancer survivor needs continued care

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. (WFSB) - A Ridgefield couple is among thousands of Connecticut residents facing skyrocketing healthcare costs, with one being a cancer survivor forced to pay thousands more to continue routine screenings.

Remy and Nina Deyglun have lived in Ridgefield for 30 years and have relied on healthcare coverage through the government for the last 15 years. Their current monthly premium is $963.

The couple is in sticker shock looking at costs for the same plan next year.

“It would go up to $4,157 just for the premiums,” Nina Deyglun said. “So, we’re going to the cheaper one which is $3,352.”

Even with an option that provides less coverage, the couple’s monthly healthcare costs are still skyrocketing.

“When I’ve heard people say their prices are doubling, I’m like, no, ours are tripling,” Nina Deyglun said.

Both are now retired and their options for healthcare through the Access Health CT marketplace are dwindling.

Remy is a survivor of bladder cancer. The couple said ConnectiCare is the only option that covers Remy’s regular oncologist and urologist checkups through Yale’s Smilow Cancer Hospital.

“I need this health insurance to be able to continue this treatment, to see the doctors,” Remy Deyglun said.

Beyond typical penny pinching, the couple has considered selling a car to afford health insurance.

“Maybe I’d get a job just to get health coverage. I don’t know. So, we don’t know. I know I’m just panicking, but I know that we need to have health coverage. It’s not an option for us not to,” Nina Deyglun said.

Congressman Jim Himes heard about their situation. As Republican and Democratic lawmakers look for a healthcare compromise to get out of the second longest government shutdown, Himes insists on returning COVID-era federal subsidies that would provide immediate relief.

“We have one ask for the negotiation, and that is that we extend these subsidies that make health insurance affordable for Nina and Remy and 22 million other Americans,” Himes said.

On a larger scale, Himes hopes this becomes a moment of reflection and action.

“The prices that you’re highlighting here are indicative of a healthcare system that doesn’t work. If you need massive subsidies to afford basic healthcare, you have a system that doesn’t work. So, I hope it’s not just about extending these subsidies. I hope it’s about Congress and others taking a hard look at the fact that the American healthcare system has become completely unaffordable, and we need to fix that,” Himes said.

Access Health CT has scheduled several enrollment fairs this month around the state to help people find their best coverage.