Lance Armstrong was denied insurance when he needed it most. Sign the petition and tell Congress that no one else should be.
Today is LIVESTRONG Day. Thirteen years ago today, my doctor told me I had advanced testicular cancer. What most people don’t know is that at the time, I didn’t have health insurance. In the following weeks, I received letter after letter from the insurance company refusing to pay for my treatment. I was fighting for my life - but also for the coverage that I desperately needed.
The legislation currently being debated in Congress is not just words on a page - for many cancer survivors, it’s a matter of life and death. Now, as this debate enters crunch time, I need your help to ensure that what happened to me doesn't happen to any other American:
http://www.livestrongaction.org/campaigns/healthcare
No matter what side of the healthcare debate you're on, I believe we can all agree on two things:
No American should be denied health insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
No American should lose their insurance due to changes in health or employment.
Will you sign the LIVESTRONG Action petition to make sure any legislation includes these two critically important reforms? We’ll deliver these to Capitol Hill this month as the debate reaches its climax and make sure our voices are heard in the debate:
http://www.livestrongaction.org/campaigns/healthcare
When I received my diagnosis, I was between cycling contracts. My new insurer used the diagnosis as a reason to deny coverage after the new contract was signed. Fortunately, one of my sponsors intervened. At their insistence, I was added to their insurance company and was able to continue my life-saving treatment. If my sponsor, a powerful company, had not gone to bat for me, I may not have made it.
What a great post for Livestrong! I borrowed some of it and even posted a link to your post. Hope all is well and you are enjoying a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteoops - spelling errors everywhere...had ro delete my own comment
ReplyDeleteI posted the email they sent me - you can copy the lot if you like, as it's not mine :o)
and hope you are having a wonderful weekend too babe!
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Nobody in America is left to die. Hospitals HAVE to treat anyone who comes in as an emergency whether or not they have insurance, or any money.
ReplyDeleteWe have plans in every single state that will cover the indigent from head to toe. They often get better care than the rest of us.
My husband and I do pretty well so we don't qualify for any free or discounted plans. We only have major medical (if it costs over 5500 for each of us) and we have to pay cash for anything up to that amount. Right now we are flat broke because my husband passed out on the golf course and went to emergency. He didn't even stay overnight and it cost us all of our savings, about 8000.
If he didn't work so hard we'd be better off with medical insurance. If we were on the street, we'd be set with dental, medical, housing, food stamps, etc.
The problem here is that the hardworking people go broke paying for themselves AND for all of the taxes that we have to pay to cover those that refuse to step up and get a job.
Nobody here dies on the street unless they really, really want to.
Karin - I worded that badly - call it slight hysteria. I am having that kind of week.
ReplyDeleteBut to me it seems wrong and frightening that sometimes, people have to fight tooth and nail for health care. No-one should have to worry that their insurers can decide whether or not they will receive [sometimes] life saving treatment. Being ill [with any kind of illness], is stressful enough without that in addition. The NHS is NOT perfect by any means, but at least I didn’t have any worries about finding money to pay for my treatment. For that, I am extremely grateful. And I would like to see that reassurance for everyone.
There are currently about 15-16 million people out of work in the U.S. It's hard to step up and get a job if there are fewer jobs with fewer employers hiring.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was laid of work (from high tech) in 2001 about 3 months after my husband died, After he died, I ended up taking a job ONLY for health benefits and using my savings to survive. I made 14 bucks an hour! I went from close to 100k per year to 30k per year. With a mortgage. There were few jobs available and nothing that paid anywhere close to what I was making. I suppose I should have given up my house.
I have good, hardworking friends who are out of work, well-educated people who cannot get jobs and should not have to go from working as librarians and court reporters to hotdog stands and window washers, losing their houses in the process. I hope they can get unemployment until things improve otherwise they may lose their mental health too.
I am so completely passionate about this - I posted on it myself a while ago. What a great post. I have clicked the link-glad I found it. Will link my post today to your blog so others will look I hope.
ReplyDeleteWe had horrible problems with insurance companies on this side of the pond-not for health care(good old NHS) but for income protection claims.We only got half of what we should have. It was a major stress. I hate them- devious.
I can't imagine what is must be like worrying about how you are going to pay for your treatment.
No doubt about it- with my medical history I would be dead if I had been in the States.
Have signed the petition and forwarded the link on to as many as I could.
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