Health Care Reform Support Group

Hi All,

This is such an important topic for all of us that I want to focus some time on this community to see if we can build a good conversation about Health Care Reform.

Last week I was invited to send a letter to Senator Chris Dodd explaining my thoughts on the issue and I want to open this thread by pointing to my journal and inviting your input.

The journal is here:

http://www.dailystrength.org/peopl...

I also wanted to add the response from Senator Dodd's office that was sent out this morning. My letter wasn't among those included but those that were chosen speak to the need for reform:

Dear Paul,

Last week I asked you what drives your support for health care reform. I received thousands of stories and suggestions that were all personal, heartfelt, and deeply affecting. I'd like to share several of them with you.

Thank you helping me in the fight to ensure every American has quality, affordable health care.  

Sincerely,
Chris

Pleased to know that you are doing well and back at work. Thank you for your hard work on both the health care and financial services reforms that contribute to our economic difficulties. I am most concerned about cost. My portion of my health care premiums went from $750 in 2006 to $2,900 in 2009. My small, nonprofit employer simply could not bear the cost of the increases, so individual employees had to decide to pay the premiums or go without. I am facing shoulder replacement surgery and my carrier has a $1,500 deductible for hospitalization - in addition to the increased premiums. And, the co pays for doctors visits do not 'count' toward a hospital deductible, so the provision of the President's plan which puts a cap on individual annual expenses is something important to look at and support. So...I'm the middle class, insured employee who has to wait for appointments, who gets to see doctors only in the time allocated by the insurance carrier, and who is paying more for the lack of access. Thanks for asking, stay well.
Deidra, New Britain, CT

I am glad you asked this question. What it means to me is an opportunity to find employment w/ out worrying if I have to hide the fact I have HIV. For 14 years I risked my life because I was afraid to lose my job if I was to take the advice of my doctor and start medication for treatment of HIV. I hid my disease and I refused treatment out of fear. I was convinced that somehow my employer would discover that I was ill and fire me. For 14 years I feared death and reprisal. When it finally came to the point I had no choice left because I had just about approached the point of developing AIDS I decided that my fear had to take a back seat to my need to survive. So I agreed to start the meds. A few months later I was unemployed. My fears came true. Now I have to worry about relying on a system of charity to have access to life saving meds that I have to take for the rest of my life or until a cure becomes reality. The fear is stronger than it ever was because now I have no other choice but to rely on a system that doesn't give me great hope. I am afraid to die, especially because I could no longer afford or get access to meds that would keep me alive. I don't want an empty death before my golden years! This situation I find myself in is sad but I have not given up hope! I know that something will come thru and people like me will not be scarified to greed and profit. God willing!
Thaddius, Jersey City, NJ

Every American citizen should have access to decent affordable health care. In just one year my family has seen our out of pocket medical expenses more than double. We cannot afford to keep up with the rising costs of our medical insurance and may have to pass up preventative care to cut costs!
Donald, Coventry, CT

As a nurse working in bone marrow transplant, I have seen many folks who have been denied a bone marrow transplant because they either have no insurance or their insurance will not cover the procedure which could in many cases save their life. My husband is pediatric bone marrow transplanter and has seen children denied transplant by insurance companies.
Carrie, Needham, MA

What drives my commitment to health care reform? This is an easy one for me. In 1988 at the age of 29 my sister passed on after a 16 year battle with brain cancer. Although my father had pretty good health insurance through his employer, the max. limits imposed by the insurance company had been surpassed, quite a few years before my sister's passing. As a result of this my parents had accrued outstanding medical bills of near $1 million -- a sum few can afford to pay. This caused my parents extreme financial hardships including re-mortgaging of their home, borrowing money from friends and family and, finally, foreclosure of their home after they were no longer able to afford the mortgage payments due to the payments being made to doctors, hospitals, specialists, et al. This should not happen to anyone. Yet, on the other hand, we see record amounts of money being made by the health insurance industry and despicable amounts of money being made by upper-level management of these companies. This is wrong. And needs to change.
Richard, East Windsor, CT

I live in constant fear of not having health insurance. My husband has been out of work, and our policy expires the end of October. We certainly don't have the money for COBRA coverage. Mostly, however, I am disturbed by the reactions of my country people, who have shown themselves to be selfish and uncaring of those less fortunate. Sen. Kennedy was right... this is a MORAL question.
Cecilia, Bergenfield, NJ

As I write this I am home recovering from shoulder surgery last week. I will probably be home for between 4-6 weeks to give my shoulder time to heal. I am a CT State Employee and incredibly fortunate for the health coverage and benefits I receive. My surgery and the upcoming therapy will be covered by my medical plan which is very comprehensive. My time at home is covered by my accumulated sick days so I will have no adverse financial impact. Many other Americans are not as fortunate as you and I with their health coverage. I have relatives who cannot afford to retire due to lack of health insurance. I have others who have been laid off and struggle to make ends meet, using retirement funds to pay their bills and worrying about health coverage. When some of my friends tell me I have it so good as a State Employee, I agree and say that instead of wishing I had less they should wish that they had equal benefits and coverage. I watched President Obama's speech last night and felt he was right on target. How can we be satisfied as a Nation when we spend over 150% of what other industrialized nations spend on health care and receive less service then they do? Our health care system is fundamentally flawed and we need major changes, not little "tweaks" as proposed by those on the right. This requires congress have the courage to undertake fundamental health care reform to improve our health as a country and our economic foundations. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts.
Tim D, Barkhamstead, CT

It's just the right thing to do.
Brian, TX
Posted on 09/16/09, 04:09 pm