Ashley Ruiz: ACA and Medicaid lift me and my son

Ashley Ruiz poses with her son Jackson, 4, before he had his second skull surgery in February.

Florida resident Ashley Ruiz is grateful for Obamacare regulations and safety-net spending, not least because of otherwise crushing costs for her special-needs son.

A Medicaid-funded program fully covers Jackson, 4, because he is disabled, with a rare skull deformity and adrenal problems. He received more than $250,000 worth of care in his first 6 months, including removal of part of his skull. Another surgery put bone grafts and titanium plates in his head.

He sees dozens of specialists on a yearly basis for the deformity alone, and receives therapy for autism.