Todd (and the shelter cat) in Bucyrus, Ohio

Todd (and the shelter cat) in Bucyrus, Ohio
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Todd’s a forklift operator and has generally been very healthy. He once had foot surgery but had insurance. He believes that hospitals gouge people because there's, “No healthcare system in place, no choice, and so they can overcharge those who pay, especially if out-of-pocket.”

I observed an interesting story with the cat, a metaphorical commentary on how our healthcare system treats people. It turns out the cat is near death with a urinary tract infection. He could not urinate for days and the vet told them that the pet, quiet hiding the entire time I was there, could die any day now. As I got ready to leave, I suddenly heard some desperate moaning, followed by a piercing yelp. I turned around to see the cat urinating right on the floor in front of his food. “Looks like he'll live another day,” said Todd, standing over the now exhausted cat. Todd looked over at me and added, “If he wasn't so sick, I’d slap him for peeing on the floor.”

It’s tragically ironic that with people, so many stories play out exactly the opposite: people get slapped around precisely because they ARE sick.

Anonymous in Mansfield, Ohio

Anonymous in Mansfield, Ohio
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

This gentleman had Stage IV melanoma with metastases to the brain. He had extensive treatments and his life was saved but the biggest problem, he told me, “Was the clerical and billing side. The paperwork and scheduling was horrible.” He summarized his very complicated tour through the healthcare system as follows: “the clinical side was wonderful, the administrative a disaster.”

[Although this person signed consent for their story to be made public, they declined a photograph and did not wish to be identified by name]

George in Mansfield, Ohio

George in Mansfield, Ohio
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

According to George, “public delivery of healthcare sounds like a good but it could go bad.” He added that, “Our system is way overpriced but if you’re on a plan, you’re golden.”

Kim in Bucyrus, Ohio

Kim in Bucyrus, Ohio
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

“As a single mom, healthcare has always been a struggle for me and my children,” Kim tells me. “I have worked many jobs, as a social worker, in a hospital, and now as a reporter. These are good jobs but with the pay, health care premiums are just too expensive.” Her daughter has both bipolar disorder and ADHD and she was on her father's insurance until January. But as Kim can’t her own coverage, her daughter must do with Medicaid. “Easier said than done,” Kim said. It took two months for her to get approved and in the meantime, Kim paid out-of-pocket over $400 for her daughter’s various medications. “It put us in a real financial hardship with the house payment, utilities, and all that.”

Donna at the Lighthouse shelter in Bucyrus, Ohio

Donna at the Lighthouse shelter in Bucyrus, Ohio
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Donna is the director of the Lighthouse homeless shelter (where I had stayed, while in Bucyrus). It was a nice, clean place which, as she told me, “helps people when their most in need. The men here have gotta be clean of drugs, no criminal history, but they’re otherwise down-and-out.”

Her husband, 73 years old, is now on Medicare/SSI and had a complicated cardiac condition. He suffered a heart attack during a cath procedure and was taken by air ambulance to Columbus. He had a quadruple bypass and they ended up with $250,000 in medical bills. Medicare went to 80%. They lost all their retirement in the stock market and now survive only on Social Security. They are filing for bankruptcy. “The angel of the poor has, apparently, become poor herself because of our healthcare system.”

In terms of herself, Donna has no health insurance. She’s got atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm abnormality) as well as diabetes and she pays for medicines out-of-pocket. But, thinking always of those less fortunate than her, she knows of many people all around who do without their medications because they can’t afford them.

Gary at Carolyn's Kitchen west of Bucyrus, Ohio

Gary at Carolyn's Kitchen west of Bucyrus, Ohio
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Gary thinks we’re “way over-prescribed.” As he put it, “Too much medicines and pharmaceutical costs are skyrocketing.” He’s been a retiree for the past eleven years and initially his health coverage was good. But premiums have steadily increased over the years so that by now more than two-thirds of his retirement income goes towards health insurance. I asked Gary if I could take his picture, to which he replied, “Sure, why not? They can't punish me anymore.”

Reuben by the roadside east of Upper Sandusky, Ohio

Reuben by the roadside east of Upper Sandusky, Ohio
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Reuben actually stopped by the roadside to walk with me. He told me the story of his nephew, who’s an Ob-Gyn doctor in Maryland. “His entire paycheck nearly all goes to malpractice insurance,” Reuben told me. “Insurance companies are trying to get everyone who can pay, even by coercion.” He told me he thinks it’s important to keep the profit mongering out of the health insurance business. “It's devastating,” he added. In terms of his own health insurance, as a child he survived Hodgkin’s disease but has recently been diagnosed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

“It’s a risk factor of childhood Hodgkin’s disease,” I told him.

“Yes, I know.” Though his insurance was “80/20,” as he put it, he did pretty well.

“That’s good,” I said as we took a rest by the roadside.