It's easy to find talking points for and against reforming America's health care system. Bluestem Prairie wanted to know what personal stories motivate working people in Southern Minnesota to demand health care reform, so I asked organizer Liz McLoone to gather stories for BSP at last night's member meeting.
We'll have a follow-up post later (probably tomorrow) about the rally this week in Washington DC, written by SE MN Labor Council President Laura Askelin, who experienced the joys of modern American travel on her way home.
Her story will focus on the political action in Washington. The union members' words themselves illustrate the tens of thousands of similar stories that drive Americans to ask for something better. And while I might spend a couple of hours pieces together more conventional reportage about last night's meeting, the passages speak for themselves.
“Last year, June 8th, I suffered a heart attack. I was fortunate because it was a relatively small one. But before it was all said and some I had racked up a bill in excess of $50,000. My insurance company covered most for the bill, but now I am extremely concerned about obtaining any insurance coverage, should I leave my current position, due to my pre-existing heart condition.”
Lloyd-AFSCME union member
Rochester
“My brother-in-law was uninsured and in a car accident. He rolled his truck during the winter and was taken to the closest hospital. They checked him out but didn't take x-rays or do other more expensive tests because he was not covered. They sent him home that night. He was in extreme pain and ended up at the public hospital in town. Upon further look he had in fact broken his neck! Had he moved the wrong way after he was sent home from the first hospital he would have died. We need coverage for all!”
Katie-Steelworkers union member
Rochester
“My brother-in-law worked for a school. For 20 years he had great health care insurance. Then they raised my sisters health insurance portion so high, they kept his but my sister had to drop hers. She is now 62 years old with no insurance. People should not be priced out of healthcare.”
Shell-SEIU Health Care MN union member
Byron
“As a public employee, in Minnesota, we have foregone better wage increases in order to protect our health insurance. We need a health care system that covers everyone with affordable coverage.”
Paul-AFSCME union member
Rochester
“Pre-existing conditions should not be a reason for being turned down for insurance or for having to pay extraordinary rates for insurance if you have pre-existing conditions.”
Lind-UNITE HERE union member
Rochester
“The choice of which medical treatment to have should be up to the individual, not the insurance companies.”
Liz-Machinists union member
Rochester
“We need a public option to keep private insurance companies honest.”
Bob-union member
Rochester
“Health insurance as we know it today is need of serious reform, in my opinion we currently have no health care system at all. Currently employees either depend on their employers to provide or help subsidize their health insurance or premiums, in tough times like today employers are faced to make hard decisions which usually result in cutting of benefits and wages in order to keep their business in operation. If employees do get raises the cost is often consumed by health insurance increase. Under the current conditions if an employee loses his health insurance or worse yet lost their job, they are forced to make the decisions of either paying their bills and taking care of the family or pay a health insurance premium. The idea of having both is usually not an option. As more people are unable to enjoy the benefit of having health insurance the cost get passed on to those that do. Should a person be forced to lose everything they worked hard for in life because they had health problems? Those are the kind of choices Americans are faced with today. That is not a system, in today’s world it’s not even fair to say the system is broke because there is no system in place.”
Joe-Plumbers & Pipefitters union member
Zumbrota
Photo: Health care reform rally in Washington DC, via the DC Labor Council
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