FARGO, N.D. – Thirty-seven year old Cindy of Fargo, North Dakota is in a bind with her health insurance. She can’t afford to use it, but she can’t afford to lose it, either.

After Cindy became unemployed last December, she got a job as a temp paralegal. Her income went down, but her expenses went up. She now pays more than $500 month for her COBRA health plan.

She didn’t want to risk going without insurance, as her recent bout of thyroid cancer might exclude her from qualifying for future health benefits. But with expenses as high as they are, even additional doctor co-pays are beyond her budget. So, they go without care as much as possible.

In this video, Cindy explains her predicament, and paints a portrait what it’s really like to live in the small community of Fargo, North Dakota.

Watch other videos I’ve produced through the Consumer Reports Health Cover America Tour.

Karen was a trauma nurse at Charity Hospital in New Orleans before the storm. The hospital, now closed, gave care to the uninsured. In this video I produced through the Cover America Tour, Karen raises the question: can low-income ex-New Orleanians with long term illnesses return to their city without this crutch and medical mainstay?