Sarah Fowler

The Clarion-Ledger

A state representative has apologized to the mother of a diabetic child who reached out to him asking for help navigating Medicaid.

Nicole Nichols sent an email Monday to each state representative, asking for help in obtaining her diabetic daughter's insulin pump supplies.

State Rep. Jeffrey Guice, R-Ocean Springs, responded, "I am sorry for your problem. Have you thought about buying the supplies with money that you earn?"

Guice, who told The Clarion-Ledger Tuesday morning "I don't do interviews" and declined to comment, issued an apology Tuesday night.

"I realize my remarks to Mrs. Nichols were completely insensitive and out of line," Guice said in an emailed statement. " I am sorry and deeply regret my reply. I know nothing about her and her family and replied in knee-jerk fashion. I'd like to think the people of Mississippi and my constituents know that I"m willing to help where I am able."

In the email, Nichols said, "We have recently begun having a lot of problems with Medicaid/CHIPS coverage for the essential diabetes supplies needed, not only to keep our kids healthy, but to keep them alive."

GUEST COLUMN: Rep. Guice picked a fight with the wrong person

She asked, "Is there someone in the legislature that can and will help these children stay healthy? They must have these medications and supplies which administer the medications to stay healthy and, quite honestly, alive!"

Three representatives responded to Nichols. She said Guice is the only representative who responded negatively.

Guice, a Century 21 Realtor and a member of the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast, serves on the Insurance Committee as well as the Public Health and Human Services Committee.

For the last three years, Nichols' 8-year-old daughter, Bella, a Type 1 diabetic, has received supplies for her insulin pump through Medicaid.

For the last six months, Nichols said, she and other parents have fought to get their children's medical supplies after the supply company outsourced products and shipping.

While the supply company was covered by Medicaid, the company they outsourced to was not. Nichols said she called 23 companies to find one that was both covered by Medicaid and in the original company's approved network. She has yet to find one.

The out-of-pocket expense for Bella's medication runs upward of $2,000 per month, Nichols said.

Frustrated and running out of options, Nichols said she turned to state representatives for help. Guice's response was not what she was expecting.

SEE ALSO: Mississippi lawmaker to voter: 'I could care less.'

"I was flabbergasted that (Guice) had the wherewithal to push the send button," Nichols told The Clarion-Ledger. "Once I had a chance to think about it, I wasn't surprised at all. I grew up in Mississippi, as awful as that sounds."

Kaitlan Sudduth, communications coordinator for the Mississippi Diabetes Foundation, said she was "shocked at the lack of compassion" in Guice's comment.

Sudduth, who is a Type 1 diabetic herself, said, "I can only imagine not having the lifesaving medication that I need."

"We're not talking Tylenol or something that you can get at the doctor, like an antibiotic, something simple like that," she said. "Without this, terrible things can happen."

Nichols' husband also has diabetes, and while the family "work their tails off" to make ends meet, they still live "paycheck to paycheck." Nichols said there is a shame that comes with being on Medicaid but it's the only way her daughter can live a healthy, normal life.

Nichols' husband, Nathan, is an inventory specialist for a transportation company. He also works a second job in the restaurant industry.

Nichols posted the exchange on her Facebook page, Living in the World of Test Strips. The response, she said, has been "overwhelming."

"Many people are absolutely appalled at his response," Nichols said. "I think he is very misinformed about the people that have Medicaid. There is this really bad assumption that people who have Medicaid for their kids are not doing what they can to thrive and be successful, and the majority of the people I know work one, two, sometimes three jobs and struggle because of the medical cost. They might not be doing exceptionally well, but they are functioning members of society."

Sudduth said Guice's comment proves he's uneducated about the dangers and expense of living with diabetes.

"One of the goals of the foundation is to educate people about diabetes, and this person is obviously not educated on it," she said. "If someone had an extra $2,000 a month maybe they would pay for it out of pocket, but that's really unrealistic."

Contact Sarah Fowler at sfowler@gannett.com or 601-961-7303. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.