Donors moved by Glencoe woman's story help her pay medical bills, keep doctors

Minnesotans have responded to the plight of a pregnant woman in Glencoe, Minn., who was about to lose access to her doctors over her medical debts.

Stephanie Beesing received an outpouring of support following a Star Tribune story about her situation on Monday, and her attorney said she received multiple checks, including one for $6,000, that could pay off those debts.

"All I could do was cry," Beesing said. "I am overwhelmed and in awe of people's generosity."

Glencoe Regional Health Services had notified Beesing and her husband that they would lose access to non-emergency medical services from the provider unless they made progress in paying $4,100 in overdue bills.

The cutoff was postponed until after Beesing's scheduled baby delivery on Thursday and a couple of postnatal visits. Now the charitable support could prevent that loss altogether.

Glencoe Regional Health is an independent provider in central Minnesota, and is among the health systems in the state that will suspend access to non-emergency care as a last resort when patients have substantial unpaid bills.

A spokeswoman said the health system is prevented by medical privacy laws from even acknowledging that a patient is in its care.

"We want to be as supportive to this individual as possible," said Lynn Beranek, director of community outreach and marketing for Glencoe Regional Health. "Please reach out to the individual directly for more information on any preferences she may have for accepting donations."

Beesing and her husband moved to Glencoe in 2020 on the promise of a job that went away when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They eventually filed for bankruptcy and agreed to a court-ordered plan to slowly pay back debts.

Then Beesing got pregnant, which she said was a surprise because she thought she was infertile because of her health problems. The 35-year-old needed extra prenatal monitoring because her diabetes added risk to the pregnancy. A fresh round of bills stacked up.

Beesing works in the Carver County library system and her husband, Mark, is in management training for a restaurant. They have health insurance, but fell behind as a result of co-pays and deductibles.

Beesing has set up an online fundraiser and is represented by bankruptcy attorney Margaret Henehan. She said she is grateful for her Glencoe doctors and wants to pay her debts but disagrees with any policy that cuts off access to health care while patients try to catch up.

"We are hard-working people and have medical insurance, but the costs of specialists or continued care for chronic issues just keep piling up before anyone can even get a chance to get ahead," she said.