Here is Sandy's story...
I have had medical insurance my whole life. Fortunately, I have not had any serious problems. When I did need surgery, the military provided the care I needed at no cost to me. However, now I am facing the reality most Americans face with the cost of premiums coming out of my paycheck for a reasonable, decent insurance policy (Aetna). I have to have a routine surgery (gall bladder) and I am appalled at the cost. The estimate for the surgery is $11,000!! With insurance, my out of pocket is about 1/10 of that, still a rather large chunk of change. I cannot imagine going through the pain I have had with this and not being able to afford to have the surgery due to my co-pay (as with a lesser quality insurance plan) or having no insurance at all.
Rick was hospitalized for 24 hours when he had Bell's Palsy. He has Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield. His co-pay for the hospital, radiologists, ER physicians, etc. was close to $2,000.00!!
My mother broke her hip last March. She has Medicare with a supplemental policy for which she pays almos t 3 times as much as my monthy premium. She was in the hospital 7 days. Her stay was almost entirely covered, including the hospital, ER, OR, surgeon, radiologist and multiple units of blood.
Our government is already in the business of providing healthcare insurance. It's called Medicare and Medicaid and it is working.
Those facing a healthcare crisis in this country are not just those people who do not have any insurance. Those of us with insurance are one serious illness away from a financial hardship. Two times last week I had outpatients come to have blood drawn that were so concerned about the amount they would have to pay that they told their doctors to only order one of the tests he thought they needed. And they had insurance.
Please consider supporting the President's plan. We simply cannot afford the substandard level of care that exists in this county today.
Sandy
(Sandy continued with a list below - not sure where it came from so if someone knows I'll surely edit to give credit)
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Top Five Health Care Reform Lies
Lie #1: President Obama wants to euthanize your grandma!!!
The truth: These accusations""of "death panels" and forced euthanasia""are, of course, flatly untrue. As an article from the Associated Press puts it: "No 'death panel' in health care bill." What's the real deal? Reform legislation includes a provision, supported by the AARP, to offer senior citizens access to a professional medical counselor who will provide them with information on preparing a living will and other issues facing older Americans.
Lie #2: Democrats are going to outlaw private insurance and force you into a government plan!!!
The truth: With reform, choices will increase, not decrease. Obama's reform plans will create a health insurance exchange, a one-stop shopping marketplace for affordable, high-quality insurance options. Included in the exchange is the public health insurance option""a nationwide plan with a broad network of providers""that will operate alongside private insurance companies, injecting competition into the market to drive quality up and costs down.
If you're happy with your coverage and doctors, you can keep them. But the new public plan will expand choices to millions of businesses or individuals who choose to opt into it, including many who simply can't afford health care now.
Lie #3: President Obama wants to implement Soviet-style rationing!!!
The truth: Health care reform will expand access to high-quality health insurance, and give individuals, families, and businesses more choices for coverage. Right now, big corporations decide whether to give you coverage, wha t doctors you get to see, and whether a particular procedure or medicine is covered""that is rationed care. And a big part of reform is to stop that.
Health care reform will do away with some of the most nefarious aspects of this rationing: discrimination for pre-existing conditions, insurers that cancel coverage when you get sick, gender discrimination, and lifetime and yearly limits on coverage. And outside of that, as noted above, reform will increase insurance options, not force anyone into a rationed situation.
Lie #4: Obama is secretly plotting to cut senior citizens' Medicare benefits!!!
The truth: Health care reform plans will not reduce Medicare benefits. Reform includes savings from Medicare that are unrelated to patie nt care""in fact, the savings comes from cutting billions of dollars in overpayments to insurance companies and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.
Lie #5: Obama's health care plan will bankrupt America!!!
The truth: We need health care reform now in order to prevent bankruptcy""to control spiraling costs that affect individuals, families, small businesses, and the American economy.
Right now, we spend more than $2 trillion dollars a year on health care. The average family premium is projected to rise to over $22,000 in the next decade""and each year, nearly a million people face bankruptcy because of medical expenses. Reform, with an affordable, high-quality public option that can spur competition, is necessary to bring down skyrocketing costs. Also, President Obama's reform plans would be fully paid for over 10 years and not add a penny to the deficit.
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We're closer to real health care reform than we've ever been""and the next few weeks will decide whether it happens. We need to make sure the truth about health care reform is spread far and wide.
Sandy
I've known Sandy and Rick most of my life, and know that their medical needs occurred just months apart, thus adding more of a financial burden on a couple, thus showing us all how the urgency for an overhaul of our health care is must!
