And in the American healthcare system, that means not only losing a job, but also losing health insurance…

It is no secret that layoffs often turn people’s lives upside down, but in the United States there is an especially brutal layer to that reality because health insurance is very often tied directly to employment. If someone is suddenly fired, their coverage can vanish along with their income. That is exactly what happened to Mike Prinke, a technical writer who had worked at Epic for seven years – until the company laid off 1,000 employees last week.

Prinke’s dismissal came under especially horrific circumstances: he is currently undergoing treatment for terminal brain cancer. His wife, Jenni Griffin, wrote about their situation on Facebook, pleading for help from Epic or from anyone who might be able to intervene. According to Epic’s post announcing the layoffs, affected employees will continue to receive paid health coverage for six months, but because of the nature of Prinke’s illness, healthcare is not the only obstacle facing the family.

“I never thought I’d be writing something like this. My husband Mike was recently laid off from Epic Games along with more than a thousand coworkers. What makes this especially difficult for our family is that Mike is currently fighting terminal brain cancer. Because of the layoff, we did not just lose our income, we also lost his life insurance. Since his condition now qualifies as a pre-existing condition, he cannot get new coverage. So now, while facing the reality that I am losing my husband, I am also facing what kind of funeral or burial I will be able to 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.

I sincerely believe that if the people who made this decision fully understood the human consequences, they would not have wanted this outcome. Mike is not just a number. He is a father. A husband. A deeply loved person. I am sharing this in the hope that it reaches the right people. If you work at Mike’s former employer, or know someone connected to it, please help this story reach them. If you cannot, please share it. We are running out of time, and I am trying everything I can to protect my family while he is still here with us,” Griffin wrote.

In an interview with Kotaku, Griffin said that Prinke’s condition was well known inside the studio because he was frequently attending medical appointments. Some of those were special treatments aimed at preventing memory loss so that he could continue performing his job at a high level. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney addressed Prinke’s situation on Twitter, saying that Epic is in contact with the family and will resolve the insurance issues for them, while also stating that medical information is highly confidential and played no part in the layoff decision.

“Epic is in contact with the family and will solve the insurance for them. There is high confidentiality around medical information and it was not a factor in this layoff decision. Sorry to everyone for not recognizing this terribly painful situation and handling it in advance.”

Sweeney apologized for failing to recognize this terribly painful situation and for not addressing it beforehand.

Source: PCGamer, Facebook, Kotaku