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Coverage Denied
Hard Work Doesn't Always Pay Off
Jean and her husband Bill are over 55, college graduates and uninsured. This wasn’t always the case. Like many middle-class couples, Jean and Bill used to have good employer-sponsored health plans and never had to worry about being able to see the doctor. That all changed when Bill lost his job in 2003. In four short years, they went from a life of relative security to one of uncertainty and apprehension.
In January of 2003, Jean’s husband suddenly became ill. He required treatment followed by surgery. When allowed to return to work, Bill was told his white-collar job had ended. “We were offered COBRA,” says Jean, “but with premiums of over $1600 a month, it was out of the question.”
Finding another job proved extremely difficult for Bill. The industry in which he had worked for his entire adult life was undergoing transformation. Moreover, the couple lived in an economically depressed area — the unemployment rate their county was one of the highest in the state. Because of this, the couple moved to Florida. After Bill’s unsuccessful stint as an independent contractor, the couple moved back home. This time, Bill was able to find a job — 5 hours from where he lives with Jean. The cost of two residences plus all associated costs brought about large credit card balances. Finally, feeling his life had grown completely out of control, Bill decided he must find a new career.
Three years later, Bill is locally employed — but at two-thirds his former salary. Bill’s present employer is a small, family-owned company that can not offer health insurance. The couple has had no luck securing health insurance on the individual market either. Insurance companies have consistently refused to cover them because they are seen as high risk.
ICHIP, Illinois’ Comprehensive Health Insurance Program, was set up to help people in this situation. However, the program is so expensive that Bill and Jean, like many other Illinoisans, simply cannot afford to participate. “So here we are,” says an angered Jean. “Too young for Medicare, too rich for assistance and too poor to pay for care directly or buy insurance. It’s a scary place living paycheck to paycheck, hoping that somehow, magically, we will find a way to get the medical care we need.”
Not only is the couple at risk of financial ruin in the case of a catastrophic event such as a car accident, they do not get the preventive care they used to. Jean and her husband forgo regular check-ups, tests, and screenings. She reports, “We do not go to the doctor until absolutely necessary because the costs are too high.” This puts them at risk of dying from an otherwise preventable disease. The realities of Jean’s life have forced her to make some hard decisions. “I have instructed my family that if for some reason a life threatening event occurs, no matter how painful it will be, they are to walk away. Simply put, a funeral is cheaper than huge hospital and doctor bills.”
Jean is tired of politicians with the right rhetoric, but no real solutions. “We do not understand how this topic is given lip service but practical alternatives are not out there for so many just like us,” says Jean. Jean is deeply concerned, not only for herself and her husband, but for all the uninsured. “I am praying for all of the people like Bill and I,” she says, “and hoping someone hears us.”
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