Twenty-four hours: 24 health care horror stories

Each hour over the course of the day Thursday, an individual story was being sent to Minnesota’s eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The stories range from family members describing the death of loved ones who did not have health care to people who have lost their homes and declared bankruptcy because of the high cost of private insurance.

“These are real lives that have been wrecked by our current health care system,” said Dan McGrath, executive director of TakeAction Minnesota, which organized the effort.

“Opponents of reform don’t want to hear these stories. But the majority of Americans, in poll after poll, say they would benefit from the choice of a public health insurance option. And the Minnesotans telling their stories today are depending on Congress to pass a public option.”

A vote is expected as early as Saturday on H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which would provide government subsidies beginning in 2013 to extend coverage to millions who now lack it. Self-employed people and small businesses could buy coverage through new exchanges, either from a private insurer or a new government plan that would compete with the insurance companies.

At a news conference Thursday to support federal health legislation, Bob Parker (left) described the death of his niece, Nora Longley, for untreated adrenal cancer. Looking on are Longley\’s cousin, Jessica Parker Garvin, and TakeAction Minnesota Executive Director Dan McGrath.

Emotional stories
At a news conference at the state Capitol, relatives of Nora Longley described her death in May 2009 of adrenal cancer after going months without access to health care.

“Had a public health insurance option been available to Nora early on, when she was struggling to afford coverage and was found ineligible for MinnesotaCare, her cancer would have been more treatable,” said her uncle, Bob Parker. “For our family, a public option may have allowed Nora the chance to live.”

Her cousin, Jessica Parker Garvin, said it is not good enough for Congress to try to find a solution.

“We have to approach health care on the basis of how can we make it work for everyone in our society . . . it’s a morality issue,” she said.

Mike Adair described how the struggle to pay for the cost of spinal surgery has crippled his family financially.

“Before this experience my wife, my four children and I owned a home in a suburb of St. Paul,” he said. “We were amassing a nest-egg for our retirement. By the end of this ordeal, we had declared bankruptcy. We are now renting the home we once owned.”

Other stories sent to the Congressional delegation detail how the high cost of health care is undermining businesses.

“I am a small business owner and do provide health care to my employees but this is a serious financial risk to my business,” David Jensen of Minneapolis said. “It’s a moral issue so I don’t want to cancel health insurance, but I might have to in order to survive.”

Lonnie Ellis of St. Paul described falling ill while living in India in 2004-2005 and being “surprised to be able to see a doctor easily and inexpensively . . . How could our country be behind India in meeting the needs of the people?”

McGrath said TakeAction Minnesota had not yet received a response to the stories from any of the members of the Congressional delegation. Shortly after the health care news conference concluded in St. Paul, Minnesota Republican Michele Bachmann held an event of her own at the U.S. Capitol, supporting the insurance industry and condemning the House health care legislation.

For more information
Read the personal health care stories at the TakeAction Minnesota website