Innovative lending needed to help ease financial crises

MEDICAL SUPPORT: Melissa Kimmell said that the “Spent: Looking for Change” – a documentary that focuses on the financial problems caused by medical costs – “is definitely shining a light on something that we ourselves are struggling with.” / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
MEDICAL SUPPORT: Melissa Kimmell said that the “Spent: Looking for Change” – a documentary that focuses on the financial problems caused by medical costs – “is definitely shining a light on something that we ourselves are struggling with.” / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Melissa Kimmell didn’t expect to be in the spotlight as the voice of a middle-class family pushed into financial crisis by the challenges of autism, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and job loss. That changed, however, as her family navigated the turbulent financial waters of an endless line of medical bills. She decided to lend her voice to bring attention to the difficult choices that sometimes have to be made in times of financial crisis.
Kimmell and her family are featured in the new documentary “Spent: Looking for Change,” produced by Davis Guggenheim, known for addressing social causes in his films “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Waiting for Superman.” The new documentary, sponsored by American Express, is intended to spur innovation in financial services. The film is being distributed for free at www.spentmovie.com

PBN: What made you decide to take part in the film?
KIMMELL: I think it is a conversation that needs to be had. This film is definitely shining a light on something that we ourselves are struggling with. We felt that there’s a need for people to be aware that there are people out there who are hard-working and trying to make ends meet and taking care of their family, and they have limited options. We’re hoping the conversation leads to innovation or more financial options.

PBN: What kind of options do you envision or hope for?
KIMMELL: I think it would be wonderful if there could be accessible financial counseling for families faced with a crisis. We went from a family of four on two incomes down to one income. That was very drastic. We’ve had health issues that have caused a lot of expenses we weren’t anticipating. If we had someone who could have counseled us and or helped us figure out strategies, that would have been very beneficial, and we wouldn’t have felt so alone.

PBN: When did these multiple crises occur?
KIMMELL: About two-and-a-half years after my husband, Alex, and I were married and we already had two children, Alex became quite ill and was in the hospital. We found out he had diabetes and thyroid disease. A month later our older son, Jonah, was diagnosed with autism. Then, when Jonah was 5 and our younger son, Gabriel, was 4, we found out Alex had advanced heart disease. Alex has had two heart surgeries in the last six years. After his first surgery, he started having seizures and in 2009 he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

PBN: When did your family’s financial situation become a crisis?
KIMMELL: When Alex’s health turned, then Jonah’s diagnosis of autism required developmental preschools and therapies and specialized supervision, we were faced with trying to live paycheck to paycheck. When Alex had to quit working in 2009, that really threw us into a crisis.

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PBN: What kind of work was Alex doing before he had to quit working because of these health issues?
KIMMELL: He was working for Tascam, a company that manufactures recording equipment. He was an operations support specialist, doing primarily troubleshooting and trade shows. Alex is a musician.

PBN: When did you move to Rhode Island?
KIMMELL: We moved to Rhode Island four years ago. After Alex was unable to work and doctors said the likelihood of returning to work was minimal, we moved to Rhode Island to be close to my sister, who lives in Foster.

PBN: Do you have health insurance?
KIMMELL: Yes, through my job.

PBN: In the film, you talk about going to a payday lender. When did you do that?
KIMMELL: We went when Jonah was about 5 and we didn’t have $500 for testing by a development psychologist, which had to be done so he could go to a school that would be appropriate for him. We managed to pay that off. But during our first winter in Rhode Island, we got a payday loan of $450 to pay for heating oil.

PBN: People who have financial issues are sometimes told they should do more to live within their means. How do you respond to that?
KIMMELL: My husband and I thought we were being responsible early in our marriage when we decided not to have credit cards. In the long run, not having a credit history has hurt us. I think people who make a snap judgment about others who’ve had to use pawn shops or payday loans or title loans on a car, I can only say that people who say or think those things, luckily, they’ve never had to walk in the other person’s shoes. When it’s for medical expenses for an aging parent or a spouse or a child, they may not understand that the truth of the matter is, in the moment when you have a crisis and you need the money, you’re thankful there’s an option out there. Unfortunately, you get stuck in the trap that you can’t pay back the payday loan in full, which is what they require. You have other bills that need to be paid. … Our neighbors got together to pay back the $450 payday loan, which we had for about three years and added up to $1,700. We are so thankful for these acts of kindness. •

INTERVIEW
Melissa Kimmell
POSITION: Kimmell is an executive assistant at Brown University.
BACKGROUND: Kimmell worked as a legal secretary and paralegal in Los Angeles and in Rhode Island for more than 20 years. She has been working at Brown University for two years.
EDUCATION: Attended Odessa College in Odessa, Texas
FIRST JOB: Kelly Girl, doing part-time office work during her senior year in high school
RESIDENCE: Scituate
AGE: 44

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