It’s no secret that layoffs often upend lives, but a particular pain point for workers in the United States is that it’s exceedingly common to only have health insurance through your employer. If a sudden layoff blindsides you, your coverage goes with your income. So it went with Mike Prinke, a technical writer who worked at Epic for seven years—right up until the studio laid off 1,000 people last week.
Prinke’s termination came amid particularly awful circumstances: He’s currently undergoing treatment for terminal brain cancer. His wife, Jenni Griffin, posted about their situation on Facebook in a plea to Epic or anyone who could help. Epic’s post announcing the layoffs said impacted staff would receive paid healthcare coverage for six months, but the nature of Prinke’s illness means medical coverage is not their only hurdle.
“Because of the layoff, we didn’t just lose income—we lost his life insurance. And because his condition is now considered a pre-existing condition, he can’t get new coverage,” Griffin wrote. “As I face the reality of losing my husband… I’m also facing the reality of what type of funeral/burial I can afford. How I will keep a roof over our heads. How I will protect our son and the life we built together. What will happen to our dogs.
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