Friday, July 3, 2009
Voice of the People: Cameron (South Bend, IN)
Cameron’s a 4th year medical student but on a leave of absence to pursue a law degree. He’s planning for a career in health advocacy—at the intersection of health and law. As a student, however, he cannot afford, at $220/month, the health insurance offered to him. But he’s lucky because he gets coverage through his wife who’s a resident.
In his medical school experiences, he’s come across many patients who have foregone medical care because of a lack of health insurance and this has inspired him to help to solve this problem.
Pat in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Pat in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare
Pat shared with me a friend’s story. Her daughter, diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis since the age of 26 had been suffering for many years. A six-week course of Remicade cost her $7,200 and, as Pat told me, “her mother has cashed in her 401K,” to pay for that. “Nothing should cost $7,200.”
Deborah at the Subway in New Haven, Indiana (east of Ft. Wayne)
Deborah at the Subway in New Haven, Indiana (east of Ft. Wayne)
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare
Deb works at the Subway in New Haven, just east of Ft. Wayne. Her health coverage costs $600/month through her husband's union plan (he's a carpenter). “If I got the insurance on my own,” she told me, “it’d cost $850 a month.” She shook her head and said, “Even though I consider myself lucky, this is crazy!”
Bonnie in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Bonnie in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare
It was back in 2002 that Bonnie lost her job of 22 years. At that time, she had been on COBRA though, “it was incredibly expensive,” she recalled. He has insulin-dependent diabetes, high blood pressure, and ‘Charcot joints.’ Her insurance and medications cost $1,500 a month. "When you don't have insurance you don't have any choices," she said.
Jessica in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Jessica in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare
Jessica and her husband were laid off from their RV company (based in Elkhart, Indiana) this past August. They have four kids under the age of ten. The lost all their health coverage and cannot afford COBRA which cost $1,200/month. The kids are now on Medicaid but they, the parents, are uninsured. “If something happens to them,” Jessica asked, “how'll the kids be taken care of?”
Nate in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Nate in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare
Nate’s a young and relatively healthy guy. “Last year, in December, I came down with pneumonia,” he told me. He’s a diabetic and so his illness was complicated by diabetic ketoacidosis, acute kidney failure, staph infections, and ‘cardiac issues.’ “I was in the ICU for twelve days, unconscious for a week,” he told me. Even though he just been laid from his job, he told me, “he was lucky in the timing of things … like a ‘roll-of-the-dice,’” that he happened to have insurance just when he had gotten deathly ill. And hopefully he won’t get so sick again, since COBRA, which he cannot now afford, costs $800/month especially with his pre-existing conditions … and especially being unemployed.
Cameron in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Cameron in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare
Cameron’s a 4th year medical student but on a leave of absence to pursue a law degree. He’s planning for a career in health advocacy—at the intersection of health and law. As a student, however, he cannot afford, at $220/month, the health insurance offered to him. But he’s lucky because he gets coverage through his wife who’s a resident.
In his medical school experiences, he’s come across many patients who have foregone medical care because of a lack of health insurance and this has inspired him to help to solve this problem.
Terri in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Terri in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare
Terri—“an older member of the workforce,” as she put it— is currently unemployed. She has no health insurance and with several chronic conditions, chronic sinusitis and hypertension included, she’s “in a difficult situation,” Terri tells me. Her prescriptions have ran out and without insurance, her doctor won’t see her. Even though she asked about a payment plan, “They told me, they take payment in full.”
Terri’s an informed person. “High blood pressure is a ‘silent killer,’” she adds, and “I don’t want to be silently killed because I can’t get the treatment.” She reminded me that she’s certainly not the only one in such a predicament, but said that, “I’m just speaking out, because everybody has to speak. If you don’t speak on it, no one would ever know.”
Dee in Van Wert, Ohio
Dee
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare
Dee told me the story of her uncle. He had a heart attack a few years back resulting in cardiac surgery and a bill for $145, 000. “Dee, I'm dying,” he said, not clear, as Dee told me, whether he was referring to his health troubles or the financial burdens. Dee told her uncle to change his diet, do yoga, lots of walking, and other things to improve his lifestyle and health. And so he heeded her advice and actually, to do these things, went back to India. Returning some months later, he proudly called Dee telling her that he was healthier, no longer had diabetes, and no hypertension. But, he lamented, “I still owe $145,000.”
The Voice of the People: Jessica, Noah & Hunter (Ft. Wayne, IN)
Jessica and her husband were laid off from their RV company (based in Elkhart, Indiana) this past August. They have four kids under the age of ten. The lost all their health coverage and cannot afford COBRA which cost $1,200/month. The kids are now on Medicaid but they, the parents, are uninsured. "If something happens to them," Jessica said, “how'll the kids be taken care of?”
This is Noah and Chris in the picture also. Today was Noah's birthday too and thanks to the Ft. Wayne rally, he had a big turnout for his party!
Voice of the People: Terri (Ft. Wayne, IN)
Terri—“an older member of the workforce,” as she put it— is currently unemployed. She has no health insurance and with several chronic conditions, chronic sinusitis and hypertension included, she’s “in a difficult situation,” Terri tells me. Her prescriptions have ran out and without insurance, her doctor won’t see her. Even though she asked about a payment plan, “They told me, they take payment in full.”
Terri’s an informed person. “High blood pressure is a ‘silent killer,’” she adds, and “I don’t want to be silently killed because I can’t get the treatment.” She reminded me that she’s certainly not the only one in such a predicament, but said that, “I’m just speaking out, because everybody has to speak. If you don’t speak on it, no one would ever know.”
Voice of the People: Nate in Ft. Wayne, IN
Nate’s a young and relatively healthy guy. “Last year, in December, I came down with pneumonia,” he told me. He’s a diabetic and so his illness was complicated by diabetic ketoacidosis, acute kidney failure, staph infections, and ‘cardiac issues.’ “I was in the ICU for twelve days, unconscious for a week,” he told me. Even though he just been laid from his job, he told me, “he was lucky in the timing of things … like a ‘roll-of-the-dice,’” that he happened to have insurance just when he had gotten deathly ill. And hopefully he won’t get so sick again, since COBRA, which he cannot now afford, costs $800/month especially with his pre-existing conditions … and especially being unemployed.
