Waking Up to a Nightmare

"This past, Oct. 4th 2008, I was standing at the fountain at St. James Court attending St. James Art Fair when I felt my body start to shut down. I almost collapsed on the spot when I made my way up to a good neighbor's front porch for help. Immediately, they called EMS and was rushed to Baptist East Hospital to find out the worst news of my life that I had a large tumor in my uterus. [A doctor] from the Louisville Oncology group was called in to do surgery a total hysterectomy on Oct. 6, 2008 which I was then diagnosed with a rare incurable cancer, endometrial stromal sarcoma.

"I've been on chemotherapy treatment since January 2009 every two to three weeks. I have been integrating with holistic therapies which is helping my cancer journey.

"When I was diagnosed in Oct. 2008 I was a policy holder with Anthem insurance. Unfortunately, January 2009, I was dropped from Anthem Insurance company. I was informed that my policy was written as a short term which I did not discover until I was in the hospital. I spoke with someone at Anthem that I wanted to continue my policy as an individual policy. It was okay until Anthem said they made a mistake and I would not be able to continue as a policy holder with my diagnosis. "OUCH!"

"All I want to do is stay focused on getting well and not have to worry about the red tape and piling up medical bills. I want to be an advocate for wellness and not a victim of the broken healthcare system.

"I am waking up from my nightmare and living my true hearts desire...helping others and living LIFE!"

--- Cheryl

Pharmacists for Reform

Gary wrote to us about the difficulties he has maintaining insurance for his employees. His very detailed account offers a closer look at the skyrocketing costs of healthcare that are burdening Kentucky's small businesses:

"When we purchased 2 of our pharmacies in 1990, all of the employees were paid minimum wage and no one had benefits. We immediately gave employees raises, and over the next 3 years started a retirement plan, added health insurance as a benefit, disability insurance and some of our employees have dental and life insurance. We pay 90% of the health insurance premium for a single plan.

"Our company recently chose a new insurance plan with less benefits, $2500 total out of pocket for a single person and $5000 for a family. As premiums continue to rise at an unsustainable rate, we had no choice but to pick a plan that both the company and the employee could afford.

"In talking to my bookkeeper today, I was informed that the cost of our Health Insurance for most of our pharmacies is going up 15% tomorrow. These increases are not sustainable for our small businesses. In ten years, we may be looking at out of pockets of $10,000 annually. How can a young couple making in the $50,000 to $60,000 range afford to pay this?

"Presently, the cost of health insurance for our employees exceeds $265,000 annually with the employees paying over $115,000."

--- Gary

Grateful for the VA

In 1994, Ed began having immune system problems, and in the following year his condition became much worse. Eventually, he was forced to drop his insurance due to the rising costs surrounding his condition.

"Even though I was on a KPP insurance program through work, my rates kept increasing to the point I had to drop it or starve and not be able to pay rent.

"If it hadn't have been for my VA, I may not be alive today, since I couldn't afford the medical bills without insurance.

"I'm one of those who can't afford the exorbitant cost of insurance, because I have a pre-existing condition. I would love to have an affordable, quality insurance plan to cover me, when I can't make it to the VA Hospital."

--- Ed

Prescription Pains?

"My wife and I are both on Medicare with the state employees' supplemental and drug program managed by Blue Cross. Since going on Medicare I developed prostate cancer, and my wife developed acid reflux. Never has Medicare denied any treatment by any of our physicians. In contrast, Blue Cross has denied full coverage for prescription drugs for both us--despite the fact that in both instances we needed a 'non-approved' drug based on the failure of the 'approved drugs' to control the conditions. In my wife's case she wound up in the hospital with what we thought was a heart attack, because she went back to the 'approved' drug. Now she is paying the extra $50 per prescription, and I am paying an extra $30 for my glaucoma drug.

"We are fortunate in that we can afford these charges. But I am haunted by the memory of an elderly woman who was in front of me in line for prescriptions at the drug store. She had about six different prescriptions, and she asked the pharmacist what each one was for. He explained that one was for her heart, one for her kidneys, etc. I almost cried when she told him to fill the ones for her heart and her kidneys, but she couldn't afford the others."

---Charles