Faces Of Health Care Reform in AmericaMeet Kristen & Adam from Minneapolis, MN.Kristen and Adam live in Minneapolis, MN. Kristin has polycystic kidneys, a genetic disease she shares with her father. Because Kristen knew she was predisposed to the illness, she got tested early and took preventative measures like quitting caffeine and decreasing her salt intake to keep her kidneys healthy and mitigate the long term effects of her illness.
At the time of her diagnosis, Kristen had health insurance through her employer. But when she won a prestigious playwriting fellowship (which necessitated a move to Minneapolis) it meant she had to give up her insurance. Kristen and Adam tried to buy insurance on the open market, but were rejected because of Kristens pre-existing condition, this is never anything Ive had treatment for, never anything I was recommended to have treatment for, she says. Eventually Kristen and Adam applied for insurance through Minnesotas high risk pool, but now they pay $215 each quarter for a plan with a $10,000 deductible. I dont have access to the health care system -- this is only to keep myself and my mother from going bankrupt should anything ever happen to me, Kristen says. Its not health insurance - its a hedge against catastrophe.
Meet Kristine from Muskego, WIKristine's husband and his business partner own a small machine shop in Milwaukee that their fathers started nearly 60 years ago. The company has traditionally been able to provide its employees with single and family health insurance. But rising costs have made it increasingly difficult, and they've had to modify the coverage they can provide. Last year, her husbands business paid $132,000, for plan that requires a $2,500 deductible. As Kristine says, her "story is certainly not a tragic one, just a typical one, of the problems faced by small business owners in this country."
Meet Lisa from Lake Worth, FLLisa has hydrocephalus, or "water on the brain," and several other health ailments that require regular monitoring and care. Like millions of Americans, when Lisa lost her job, she also lost her health insurance. She couldn't afford COBRA, but when she called around to inquire about coverage from private insurers she was denied. "As soon as I told them about my situation," Lisa says, "they said 'forget it;' they absolutely wouldn't even go any further."
Meet Cesar from Silver Spring, MDCesar was born and raised in Arvin, California, a small town in the Central Valley. He shares his mother Martha's story with us. She came to the United States from Mexico and has worked for nearly 40 years. Martha instilled in her eight children the dignity and value of hard work, sometimes holding down two jobs at once to support her family. Martha is one of the 46 million people in this country without health insurance.
Meet Cathy from Apple Valley, MNA single mother of two, Cathy went back to school to earn her teacher's license and has worked for the past three years as a special education and early childhood education teacher. When her school system was hit with budget cuts earlier this month, Cathy lost her job, along with her health insurance.
Meet Russell AxelsonLike millions of Americans, Russ lost his health insurance when he was laid off from his job. Russ turned to his church to help pay for his medications while he was out of work.
Meet Linda Douglass of the White House Office of Health Reform. She debunks the myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/
"Whether or not you have healthcare insurance right now, the reforms we seek will bring stability and security that you don't have today. This isn't about politics. This is about people's lives. This is about people's businesses. This is about our future." --Barack Obama
