Loss of Health Coverage Drives Some to Faith-Based Cost Sharing

Reagan Noble jumped out to block a shot on goal in the final game of the 2022 preseason for the Eureka College soccer team. The blind pain he felt as he touched the ground came from the torn anterior cruciate ligament. When the 20-year-old was helped from the field, he began a week-long journey that included consultations with many doctors, diagnostic imaging, surgery, and physical therapy, which cost tens of thousands of dollars. Hoping to return to football, he searched for a surgeon who was well versed in sports medicine. He studied the procedures, spoke with several doctors, then settled in a doctor in St. Louis. The provider was a three-hour drive from Nobles’ home, out of reach of the local insurance network. That wasn’t important – the family was uninsured.