Health Care For America Now

NEWS

In Maine, Two Sides on Health Care Step Up Competition for Senators’ Votes - New York Times

The rally outside Senator Olympia J. Snowe’s district office here last week was small but heartfelt: a handful of locals describing health insurance nightmares and calling for full-blown change, fast.

A look at health care plans in Congress - Associated Press

A look at health care legislation taking shape in the Democratic-controlled House and Senate as President Barack Obama pushes to overhaul the system, cover nearly 50 million uninsured Americans and reduce costs. Many of the details are still being negotiated and any final health care bill would have to meld proposals from the House and Senate.

Gov't plan would offer cut-rate medical premiums - Associated Press

What if a new health plan set up shop in your town offering coverage at a much lower price than other insurers?

Schumer promises public option in healthcare bill - The Hill

The healthcare reform bill that emerges from Congress this year will include a government-run public health insurance option, regardless of the bipartisan negotiations seeking a compromise in the Senate, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sunday.

Senate’s Health Timeline May Slip - Roll Call

Senate Democratic leaders’ hopes of approving health care reform before adjourning for the August recess appear all but dead, with the prospect of meeting President Barack Obama’s demand for a bill on his desk by Oct. 15 looking increasingly difficult.

Medicare’s Mixed Legacy - New York Times

Should the government get in the health insurance business?

Today, April 28th, is Blog for Fair Pay Day. In recognition of this important day, our guest post by Lisa Codispoti, Senior Counsel for Health and Reproductive Rights, National Women’s Law Center, relates to health care and equal pay.

Between 2000 and 2006, health insurance premiums increased 87.5 percent—4 times more than wages. In addition to the burden of inflated health care costs, women are still paid only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men—with women of color earning even less. In a world where women are earning significantly less than men for comparable work, how can they also afford health care?

Pay inequity for women compounds the issues that already exist with our broken health care system. This is a system that makes unfair practices by insurance companies flourish, such as allowing health to be more expensive for women. For example, women pay higher premiums than men when they try to buy health insurance directly from an insurance company through the individual health insurance market (a practice known as gender rating.) Even worse is that many of these health plans do not cover maternity care or expect women to pay an additional fee (what is called a rider) to gain maternity coverage. Women are then left trying to stretch their already smaller paycheck for a much larger health care bill.

Read more…

People are speaking out:

I work in call center, which I hate, a lot. I work there just so I can get health insurance. The job is very stressful and I've been unable to find other work (that includes health care) for the past 7 years. I am 55.

Pamela, Portage, MI

As a psychologist involved with the health insurance of my patients, I have experienced many unfair practices by this industry. They have disallowed mental health benefits to a young woman, newly arrived from out of state with no social, emotional support system who was diagnosed with cancer which she may have had prior to her new employee based insurance.

We received so many stories that highlight the need for quality, affordable health care we all can count on. We will be posting the 1,000 + stories that we received later this week. In the meantime, here are some quotations from the people who wrote in so far.

"I have what is considered good health insurance through my employer. I had a medically necessary surgical procedure this year that is listed as "fully covered" under my insurance plan. I'm still required to pay over $2000 of the cost of that surgery as "co-pays." That is nearly 10% of my yearly salary!

Honestly, I can barely afford health care even with "good" insurance. I deserve better."

-Kristen, Iowa City, IA

Thank you for all of the stories that you submitted. Due to the overwhelming response to the "Tell us your story" section of the site, we are a little delayed in getting them up on the site. It is inspiring to see over 1,000 names of people who are ready for change and who want Health Care for America Now! We will be working around the clock to get all of your stories up by early next week.

Thanks again.

Excepted from From New Hampshire for Health Care.

"My name is Sandra Burt. I’m from Concord, New Hampshire.

I’m 65 years old.

I worked for my company for 40 years. And I recently lost my job. I have an auto-immune disease and I need my medication. There are shots that I take twice a week. I applied for Medicare first, and then I found out that I have to have two other insurances - a supplemental insurance, Part B and Medicare Part D for the drugs.

Well, that’s where all my trouble started.

I found out that with having all of these insurances, I started at a $1,043 a month, and I ended up with $625. My shots are $2800 a month, and I can not get $2800 a month out of $625, no matter how hard I try.

So I have applied for help through different foundations, different grants. I talked with social workers. New Hampshire does not have a drug assistance program, so I got no help there.

I’m kind of exasperated right now because I don’t know what to do. My husband sold his truck to try to get more insurance for us, so we’re now down to one 10 year old van that we’re trying to keep going. I’m getting help, I hope, from a foundation – a wellness foundation. I’ve applied for help there.

I haven’t heard from them and they’re my last chance. They will pay the co-pay, but I still have to pay $138.69 as my co-pay, which is better than $2800 a month, but still it’s hard to come up with that as well.

It’s been 2 weeks since I mailed them and I have not heard from them. My time is running out, my shots will be running out, and I’m not exactly sure what is going to happen. . . .”

Read more.

Fannie Brown - "“…the cost of my medical insurance is skyrocketing through the roof.””

My name is Fannie Brown. I currently reside in Oakland and I am a single mother of six children. Currently I do not work because I am retired. I am a member of ACORN and volunteer for them.

I have five boys, ages: 15, 13, 12, 10 and 9, and a little 8 year old girl.

Although I am retired, the cost of my medical insurance is skyrocketing through the roof. I pay $491 a month for my medical insurance. My union pension is only about $300, so it doesn’t even cover that—and believe it or not, the plan I have only covers me: not the children, dental or vision, just me. The kids’ Medi-Cal is picked-up by Alameda County, but that doesn’t always help. For example, if they need certain medicines, because the County doesn’t cover all medicines, I have to pay out of my own pocket. As you know, medications can be very costly. Sometimes I try desperately to find money for these medications. That expense deeply affects my ability to buy clothing, food for my home, to take the kids on outings—they never enjoy any of that. Even if my medical insurance went down $100 a month, it would greatly help me, maybe allow me to buy more food. But at the rate it is now, I have to cut back on all the things that are essential for my family.

Excerpted from California ACORN's compilation of Health Care stories. Download the PDF. (7.6 MB)

I am a married father of one son. I am self-employed working as a mechanic.

I have a 7 year old son. My wife works at home caring for our son and volunteers in our community. As a self-employed person I am forced to figure out healthcare for myself and for my family. Purchasing healthcare coverage directly through the insurance companies is much too expensive and does not fit within our monthly budget as we have a mortgage. This leaves my self and my wife without coverage as our son is on a low-cost state plan.

Recently my wife became very ill with severe chest pains. She had not seen a doctor since we had no health insurance. We therefore decided to go into the hospital. We were at the hospital for about four hours. They ran tests but in the end they gave her a small prescription and sent us on our way. A few weeks later we received a bill for close to $5,000. We cannot afford to pay this much and have talked with the hospital who refuse to offer us an affordable payment plan. They have said if we do not pay they will take out a lien on our house.

Excerpted from California ACORN's compilation of Health Care stories. Download the PDF. (7.6 MB)