Justin Doyle was a federal worker for six years, spending most of his time as a security guard with the Smithsonian Institution Office of Protection Services. But after an infection claimed his right leg, he was forced to find a new job.
In December, he began a role as a regional dispatcher for the Navy and began reporting to work at the Navy Yard in December. The switch made him a probationary employee, so the new position was short-lived.
He was laid off, along with thousands of other federal workers, as part of the Department of Government Efficiency initiative led by Elon Musk to reduce government spending.
“I have been stressed out, wondering what am I going to do if I lose insurance? How am I going to pay for this?” Doyle, who’s from Port Tobacco, Maryland, told WTOP.
In addition to having a prosthetic leg, the antibiotics used to treat the condition that cost Doyle his leg, severely injured his kidneys, leaving him with Stage 5 chronic kidney disease — the most advanced stage.
“I go from making a paycheck, down to now I’m not going to get anything. I am always worried about, are my doctors going to drop me? Am I not going to be able to afford my next dialysis treatment?” he told WTOP.
As he awaits a new kidney, he has also been told he may need open-heart surgery.
“There’s a whole bunch of questions that come up on your mind when you don’t have insurance, and it sucks. It really does suck,” he said.
According to the website FederalPay.org, federal workers should be covered on the plan they had while working for 31 days past their last day. Federal workers, typically, can then elect to sign up for a Temporary Continuation of Coverage for up to 18 months.
WTOP reached out to the Office of Personnel Management to find out whether federal workers laid off due the Trump administration’s downsizing of the government will be awarded this extended coverage, but has not heard back.
For Doyle, he said he has sought an answer, but, so far, does not know for sure what coverage he has and how long it will last.
Doyle said he was proud of the work he did for the federal government and is disappointed he lost his position due to no fault of his own. He urges the Trump administration to pause the layoffs and learn more about what workers do.
“Please stop and listen to some of these people that you’re letting go. You’re hurting their livelihood, their families,” he said.
He said he is now looking for a new position and is hopeful he’ll find one soon.
“I’m valuable to any company that would be willing to hire me and I’m willing to prove that to them,” Doyle said.
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