[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 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 today to tell the story of a 
Michigan family that has been torn apart by the health care crisis. 
Although my Democratic colleagues and I have not been able to pass 
comprehensive health care reform legislation this year, the urgent need 
for such legislation has not diminished. I would like to tell you about 
Mark Foster, a 39-year-old divorced father of two children and a 
seasonal construction worker in Lansing, MI. Recently, Mark was 
diagnosed with testicular cancer.
  Mark first realized that he might be ill this past August, when he 
noticed some swelling. Although his family has a history of cancer, 
Mark delayed consulting a doctor because, like thousands of Americans, 
he did not have any health insurance and was afraid that he could not 
afford medical care on his own. But within days the swelling had 
increased so dramatically, and was so extremely painful, that Mark left 
work and rushed to an emergency room for care.
  Initially, Mark was referred to a urologist, who diagnosed a simple 
infection, prescribed an antibiotic, and sent him home. But the 
continuing pain was so excruciating that Mark returned for a second 
opinion. This time an ultrasound test was performed that revealed a 
large mass. A physician removed the mass, performed a biopsy and found 
the tumor to be malignant, so Mark's testicle was surgically removed to 
contain the cancer. Sadly, a CT Scan conducted at Mark's fourth follow-
up exam showed that the cancer had already spread to several lymph 
nodes. So a second surgery has been scheduled for today, October 7, and 
will require 1 full week of inpatient hospital care. Mark's physician 
has warned him that chemotherapy treatments may also be necessary after 
the surgery to contain the malignancy.
  Incredibly, Mark actually wanted to delay this second surgery until 
later this year because he is completely overwhelmed by the $10,000 in 
medical bills he already has received for his medical treatment to 
date. You see, because his employer is a small, nonunion, seasonal 
business, it does not offer any health insurance coverage. Last year 
Mark earned $22,000 a year from both work and unemployment. He paid 
child support for his 9-year-old daughter Angie, who lives with her 
mother, and he has raised their 16-year-old son, Mark Jr., himself.
  Mark's income varies widely during the year depending on the labor 
needs of the contracts the construction company can obtain. His hours 
can range from 8 hours up to 70 hours per week. Like many construction 
workers, he relies on unemployment benefits to support himself and his 
children during the winter months. With such variable income, a monthly 
premium payment is beyond Mark's ability to pay on his own, and his 
employer is unwilling to obtain group coverage for their workers.
  Mark has been overwhelmed by the financial and emotional consequences 
of his cancer. Right now Mark is on an unpaid leave of absence because 
he is in constant pain, and faces further chemotherapy treatment after 
his second surgery. He has depleted his $1,600 in savings to pay what 
portion of the medical bills he can. The rest of his bills remain 
unpaid and the stack is growing.
  Without any income, he has not been able to pay any child support 
since August. Because Mark is unable to care for his son, Mark Jr. has 
moved back in with his mother and sister, and the family depends on 
AFDC. Ironically enough, because their mother qualifies for AFDC, the 
children both now have health insurance coverage through Medicaid. Mark 
Jr. did not qualify for the program while he lived with his father 
because Mark made too much money, yet Mark could not afford to buy 
health insurance for himself and his children.
  Mark contacted the American Red Cross for help with his medical costs 
through their Medical Access Program. Because Mark had no health 
insurance, did not qualify for any State programs and fell within low-
income guidelines. The Red Cross negotiated with the hospital a 40-
percent discount on the charges for his initial surgery and other 
treatment. Still, with the discount the nightly room charge alone was 
$2,800, which he will face again when he returns for a week's stay. Of 
the $10,000 charges he has accrued, Mark estimates that he still owes 
$6,000.
  While Mark is debilitated by the pain and weakness caused by his 
cancer, he has even more obstacles facing him. His landlord has evicted 
him from his apartment because, after paying the medical bills, mark 
had no money left to pay rent. He has been staying with a friend who is 
herself disabled and faces eviction as well. Mark is separated from his 
children and unable to support them. Understandably, he feels as though 
the system has failed him.
  Becuase he lacked health insurance, Mark tried to save money by not 
seeking medical treatment--now, with his advanced cancer, he has been 
wiped out financially. If health insurance coverage had been 
affordable, he would have purchased it. But right now in this country, 
millions of families like Mark's cannot find health insurance coverage 
that they can afford.
  Mr. President, over the last 2 years I have presented the stories of 
68 individuals and families from Michigan who suffer because of the 
breakdown of our health care system. People looked to us to help them 
through passage of health care reform. Sadly, we have not been able to 
pass such legislation this Congress. When I return to my home State of 
Michigan, I will continue to fight for health reforms as a private 
citizen, because I remain hopeful that my colleagues in the Senate and 
the House will continue this effort in the 104th Congress.

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