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Springfield, April 2007
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Reflections on the Health Care Crisis - Featured Story
The High Price of Health Care
Bill Small is a resident and trustee of Oswego Township near Aurora, Illinois. As a proud participant in his community, Bill felt inspired to testify at the Health Care Justice Act public hearing in Aurora to voice his position on health care and chronicle his own experiences with the health care industry. At one point in his life, Bill held an executive position with an insurance company. Shortly after leaving his position, he was contracted by a group headed by then state representative Dennis Hastert to write a report of the state’s health care system. In his study, Bill came across many of the problems that persist today: large uninsured populations, high costs of care and marginalized groups disqualified from government insurance plans. In the end however, Bill never received a response from the state government regarding the reception or use of his report.
Years after Bill lost his job with the company, he began experiencing health care problems himself. Bill actively sought employment throughout this time, going through 3 different jobs that effectively landed him on COBRA at the end of each employment. His latest COBRA coverage ended 2 years ago. Without a job, he and his wife are now uninsured. The number of medications they both take and their respective pre-existing conditions effectively disqualify them from individual insurance plans, and the state ICHIP program would cost them an unaffordable $2500 a month. Luckily, they have managed to take advantage of the state drug program I-SAVE Rx, which allows the uninsured to buy imported drugs from the state. But overall, health expenses are still too costly. Ultimately, Bill and his wife will be forced to sell their home and use their equity for medical expenses.
In large part, Bill has been fortunate to be able to afford the COBRA premiums and employer sponsored insurance over the years. He did not have the COBRA option when he wrote his report years ago. COBRA is extremely useful for those between jobs, but out of reach for those who cannot afford it. The top priority for Bill, like many COBRA consumers, is the availability of affordable health care choices for people who lose their jobs. In conversing with CBHC, Bill mentioned that a potential way to address those who cannot afford COBRA as well as the overall uninsured population would be to have the state focus on community centers (clinics). Community centers and clinics exist in areas of high population density, but are lacking in smaller communities. Bill would like to see stronger support for such facilities on the state and federal levels to provide subsidized local access to care. Ideally, the expansion of these centers could both ease the demand for hospital emergency rooms and consequently, decrease the overall cost of insurance.
Bill is one of many affected by the disparities found in his now 25 year old report. He knows firsthand how high health care costs can induce financial strain on the community level. People in situations similar to Bill's may leave the community for financial reasons. Soon businesses, volunteer resources and even community health centers may follow. This trend contributes to the weakening of communities and subsequently affects their capacity for local care. On a personal level, people like Bill and his wife may be forced to leave a place of longstanding connections and friendships.
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