[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 140 (Friday, September 30, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    FACES OF THE HEALTH CARE CRISIS

 Mr. RIEGLE. Mr. President, I rise this afternoon in my 
continuing effort to put a face on the health care crisis in our 
country. Today, I would like to share the story of Robert and Carol 
Athey and their two boys, Clare and Brent, of Owosso, MI.
  Forty-four year old Robert has been a member of the Michigan National 
Guard for 24 years and is a veteran of both Vietnam and the Persian 
Gulf war. In November 1991, Robert injured his knee during a weekend 
drill with the Guard. This injury was so disabling that he lost his job 
assembling door panels in an auto parts factory. Along with losing his 
job, Robert and his family lost their employer provided Blue Cross/Blue 
Shield health insurance. Since the National Guard does not provide 
health insurance coverage of any kind, the Atheys have been paying for 
their family's medical expenses on their own for the past 3 years.
  Robert is unable to stand up for any significant period of time so 
his job prospects are poor in Owosso, which is largely a factory town. 
When he was an active member of the National Guard, Robert had received 
$285 per month. Without a job, this income source became crucial to 
support the family, and Robert struggled to return to active 
participation in Guard activities. Unfortunately, his knee was 
reinjured on duty this year, causing him to drop out completely. Robert 
has been trying to work out an agreement with the Guard about treatment 
and disability compensation for his injuries. Meanwhile, his family no 
longer receives this supplemental income, and Robert cannot afford to 
pay for the corrective surgery he needs for his leg.
  Carol, age 40, is a self-employed taxidermist and now provides the 
family's only source of income. Carol's earnings vary, but average 
about $1,000 per month. As a self-employed businesswoman, she does not 
have access to affordable health insurance through her work, and her 
income is just $100 too high for her children to qualify for Medicaid 
coverage. Understandably, this leaves Carol with the feeling that she's 
being punished for working.
  The house payment, light and phone bills, minimal car insurance and 
food take nearly all of the Athey's current income, leaving them unable 
to afford even the most limited health insurance. It is not uncommon 
for them to miss a payment on their light or phone bills to cover 
medical expenses, and they have received many cut off notices for these 
services. Robert and Carol have resorted to borrowing money from 
family.
  The Atheys have met with several insurance agents, but cannot find 
any health coverage that they can afford. The least expensive policy 
offered to the Athey's has a premium of $207 per month. That amount 
alone represents over 20 percent of their income, and copayments would 
also be required. They simply do not earn enough money to purchase 
health insurance for themselves and their children.
  Carol herself has a thyroid condition that requires medication as 
well as an office visit and lab tests every 6 months. These services, 
which total $450 every visit, would not be covered under the policies 
they considered because of preexisting condition exclusions. Because 
she cannot afford it on her own, Carol has not had a full medical 
checkup for her condition in 6 years.
  The Athey's tell me that they have had more medical problems since 
Robert's return from the Persian Gulf, many of which they attribute to 
his service. He experiences back pain, aching joints, fatigue, 
headaches, sleeplessness, gastrointestinal problems, and night sweats. 
Robert is also in critical need of dental work, which has been 
estimated at $2,600. On top of all these problems, Robert's vision has 
deteriorated to the point that he now uses a magnifying glass and his 
glasses when he reads. But Robert and his family cannot afford to take 
care of these physical problems.
  Four-year-old Clare and 8-year-old Brent experience chronic sore 
throats, ear infections, digestive difficulties, and upper respiratory 
problems in much greater frequency than before their father left for 
the Gulf war. Clare currently has strep throat, which is costing the 
Athey's approximately $90 to treat.
  Robert can receive some care through the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, but the rest of his family is not eligible for any services. 
And the VA has already told Robert to expect a 2-year wait for the knee 
surgery he desperately needs.
  The Athey's greatest fear is that they may not ever have health 
insurance. Like so many others, the Athey family has served our country 
both in times of peace and times of war and conflict. Yet they cannot 
count on the most basic of health services back here at home. Unless we 
reform our country's current health care system, this family may never 
be able to purchase the comprehensive health insurance they need.
  Mr. President, since August 1992 when I came to the Senate floor to 
tell the story of the Robert Miller family, I have presented the cases 
of 67 Michigan families and individuals who have suffered severely 
because of the health care crisis in this country. When I started 
reading these weekly stories, I vowed to continue until my colleagues 
and I passed meaningful health care reform legislation in the 103d 
Congress. This week's announcement by the majority leader makes clear 
that all hope of accomplishing this has vanished.
  I am deeply disappointed at the direction health care reform 
negotiations took this year--disappointed at the lack of cooperation 
and consensus--disappointed in the tens of millions of dollars the 
wealthy special interest groups spent fighting against even the most 
modest reforms and improvements. But more than that, I am saddened that 
the lives of hardworking Americans like the Atheys are getting harder, 
and that thousands more families will have to face a similar hardship. 
President Clinton and the First Lady have dedicated themselves to 
improving the health care system in our Nation, and I urge my 
colleagues to make health care reform the first order of business in 
the 104th Congress.

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