Meet three "insured" Americans who had the bad taste and bad luck to receive a cancer diagnosis. God help you if you get cancer or any other life threatening disease and you're a middle class American citizen.
In the United States of America, cancer is a one way ticket to financial ruin and bankruptcy--even if you're insured!
Think you're insured? Think again.
Anyone know of a member of Congress filing for bankruptcy due to medical bills?
The Cost of Cancer was just released ago by the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation and the American Cancer Society.
Three Americans who work hard, play by the rules, pay taxes and are ignored by our government.
Furious? Ready for some more?
As rage spills into your blood, please take action.
Today it's Keith, Jamie and Tom, tomorrow is will be you or someone you love.
Keith Blessington, "It's scary, it's scary."
As you know having private health insurance at the time of a cancer diagnosis is a guarantee of absolutely nothing. Private, for-profit insurance did not protect these Americans from high out-of-pocket costs – in fact, it left them with enormous debts which they were forced to shoulder to cover their treatment costs. And in the United States, many people with cancer and other critical illnesses skip or delay necessary treatments due to the costs. You read that correctly, insured and uninsured alike, skip treatments due to costs.
Jamie Drzewicki, "I've been paying premiums my whole life, I have insurance."
Jamie Drzweicki of Miami ran up more than $75,000 in debts after her breast-cancer treatment costs exceeded her policy's annual limit.
The American healthcare system fails people when they need it most, when they get really sick. High out-of-pocket costs coupled with unaffordable insurance premiums force untold numbers of cancer patients to incur huge debt, and evn worse, to delay or forgo life-saving treatments.
But don't believe me, watch just one more gut wrenching video.
Tom Olszewski,"If you get cancer, just kiss everything goodbye."
Ten years after Thomas Olszewski of Graham, Texas was treated for early prostate cancer, he still is unable to find affordable health coverage and pays one-fourth of his family's income in premiums for high deductible junk insurance.
Angry? Furious? Contact information thanks to slinkerwink.
The status quo remains in charge. And let me remind you again, nothing will happen, until the American people demand change.
Reid, Harry - (D - NV) Class III
522 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3542
Web Form: reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Call your Senator.
Here's the message:
You have healthcare.
We don't.
We want what you have.
You work for us.
If we don't get what you have, we will take away your job.