[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H4046-H4048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        COVER THE UNINSURED WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murphy of Connecticut). Under the 
Speaker's announced policy of January 18, 2007, the gentlewoman from 
Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) is recognized for 60 minutes.

[[Page H4047]]

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight during Cover the Uninsured 
Week to draw attention to a national crisis.
  According to the Census Bureau, 46.6 million Americans are without 
health insurance. Millions more encounter a health care system that is 
inadequate in meeting their basic medical needs because they are 
underinsured.
  According to a recent Commonwealth Fund study, there are 16 million 
Americans who are underinsured, meaning that their insurance did not 
adequately protect them against catastrophic health care expenses. That 
means, in total, 61 million Americans have either no health insurance 
or only sporadic coverage, or have insurance coverage that leaves them 
exposed to high health care costs. Sixty-one million Americans is 
nearly 21 percent of all Americans, one in five.
  The lack of affordable, comprehensive health care affects every 
congressional district in this Nation. To highlight the issue and the 
real impact that being uninsured has on the lives of Americans, I have 
selected some letters that I have received from my constituents who 
have had difficulty in obtaining and affording comprehensive health 
care coverage. Too often here in Congress we speak of health care 
issues in antiseptic jargon of policymakers and lawyers. But people 
across America are hurting, and these letters tell their stories in 
their own words.
  I represent a district in south central Wisconsin, and while the 
letters I read may be from the State of Wisconsin, they speak to the 
difficulties of people all over the United States, difficulties people 
face every day. I am going to start with a few letters about the ever-
increasing price of health care.
  Eva from Madison, Wisconsin writes: ``I am contacting you in regards 
to my desperate need for public health care. I am a grad student. I 
recently sprained my ankle playing soccer and had to go to the 
emergency room for x-rays. My bill came out to $1,242.50 because I can 
only afford measly insurance that only has catastrophic coverage. This 
is a ridiculous amount of money for such a visit, and it causes me to 
consider those less fortunate than me who have even more serious 
injuries and less familial support. This cost can truly make waves in 
the lives of people.''
  Suzanne from Stoughton, Wisconsin writes: ``It is time, time to have 
the government deal with health care. We are covered under COBRA, which 
will run out in March. The cost is going from $500 per month to $900 
per month. We checked with Blue Cross, and they refused us coverage 
because of a preexisting condition. They will not even offer a waiver 
for this preexisting condition. We checked with the Wisconsin State 
Insurance Program, which will cover us for $1,200 per month. Please, 
let people over 60 buy into Medicare. It is impossible to find a job 
that offers health insurance.''
  And then there is the story of Sylvia from Fitchburg, Wisconsin. 
Sylvia was uninsured when she was hospitalized with a need for an 
appendectomy. Even after the hospital charity program reduced her bill, 
she still owed over $11,000 to the hospital. Sometimes the bill 
collectors call her at home five times a day. Sylvia chips away at this 
bill sending in the most she can, $20 to $50 a month.
  Roberta from Janesville, Wisconsin writes: ``I think insurance bills 
for both medical and dental care are horrendous. Both my husband and I 
work full time, with two small children, living pay check to pay check. 
My insurance costs have caused us many heartaches, with us owing more 
money than what needs to be paid. As a result, I will not get a needed 
medical procedure done. Something drastically needs to change in the 
United States of America where hardworking individuals and families can 
get the treatment they need without going broke.''
  Roberta brings up an important point in her letter, because people 
without health insurance are often not getting the care that they 
desperately need. A recent study released by the Robert Wood Johnson 
Foundation found that cost prevented 41.1 percent of uninsured adults 
from seeking a doctor when they needed to seek care.
  But getting needed care is also difficult for Americans who have 
health insurance because of the financial strain relating to high 
premiums, high health care costs, increasing copays, deductibles. These 
place an incredible strain on American families, often forcing them to 
choose between needed health care and basic necessities like food.

                              {time}  2230

  It is no wonder that illness, injury and medical debt is responsible 
for nearly 50 percent of all personal bankruptcies in the United 
States. Only about 40 percent of businesses who employ low-wage or 
part-time workers offer health benefits. And at $11,480 a year, the 
average family's health insurance premiums now cost more than a minimum 
wage worker makes in a year. And as we all know, the costs of health 
care are rising faster than inflation. Between 2000 and 2006, health 
premiums for employer-sponsored insurance jumped 87 percent, far 
outpacing inflation's 18 percent overall increase over the same period 
of time.
  Patricia, from Madison, Wisconsin writes: We need to fix health care. 
I have to choose between heat and food and medications. I have lost 80 
pounds because of this. Please help.
  Heather, from Waterloo, Wisconsin writes: I am married and together 
with my husband I own a home. We live a modest, middle-class life, 
managing to always have what we need except for health care coverage. 
My husband has excellent health care at his job, but for me to also be 
covered by his plan, we would need to pay nearly $400 per month. That 
is two-thirds as much as our home mortgage. Through school, I have 
worked less and less in order to maintain health coverage, and I have 
only been able to afford short-term, major medical coverage. I am 
grateful that we can afford this, and it does make a difference. 
However, even now, I have a sore throat and I will wait for a few days 
to see how I feel. And I will wait because if I don't need to go, I 
will certainly save the money. This is disturbing to me, as a nursing 
student, because I know about the importance of early treatment and 
prevention. And it is upsetting to me as a person because I value my 
health. It is unacceptable to me as a citizen, because I know there are 
other people just like me who wait and get sicker or can't take the 
medications they need.
  Mr. Speaker, simply put, our health care system is failing, and 
America knows this. Among the thousands of letters regarding health 
care that I receive, there is a common thread, a common theme that 
brings them together, and that common theme is an overwhelming 
frustration with the system, a system they know is just not working, 
and a call for us in Congress to take action, bold action.
  Brad, from Mount Horeb, Wisconsin writes: I write to you today to 
urge you to take action on a growing crisis in America: health care. I 
strongly believe that we need a national health care plan to insure all 
Americans. My major concern with the current system is that when people 
attempt to obtain insurance, insurance companies refuse them because of 
past health history. Let's face it. Insurance companies are in business 
to make a profit. The best way to make a profit is to insure the 
healthy so you can minimize the claims you pay out, and not insure 
those who need medical care or may potentially need medical care.
  Brad goes on to write: I am 38 years old, with a family of four. I 
currently participate in a health savings account. For all practical 
purposes, I pay all of my own medical needs, including the recent birth 
of our daughter. I recently attempted to switch insurance providers. 
The insurance companies will insure me, but they will not insure my 
daughter for any type of treatment for her asthma for 3 years, along 
with no drug coverage for life. The policy I was requesting had a 
$10,000 deductible, yet they still refused the coverage.
  Lisa, from Madison, Wisconsin writes: I am a very healthy person, and 
my husband and children are very healthy. We cannot get insurance. I 
think everyone should attempt to gain an individual health policy just 
to see how impossible it is. I am not a risk. Really, I am not. I am 
terrified right now because we are uninsured.
  Carol, from Madison, Wisconsin writes: As someone who has had no 
health insurance at all for 3 years, I can tell you that it was pretty 
miserable being one of the millions of people in this country without 
health insurance. Not long ago, my best friend died

[[Page H4048]]

at age 42 because of ovarian cancer because she did not have health 
insurance and waited too long to see what was causing all of her 
symptoms. Yes, people in America actually die from not having health 
insurance.
  Darla from Fitchburg, writes me. She says, ``I lost my job because of 
unpredictable attendance due to my health issues. Upon losing my job I 
signed up for COBRA. Last week I received a letter indicating that my 
COBRA eligibility ends soon. In order for me to get health coverage, I 
would have to work at least 20 hours per week, but my physicians 
believe that it would do me more harm than good relating to my health 
issues. If I don't get some sort of health insurance, I will need to 
stop all treatments, as I have no money to pay for doctors' services. 
My prescription drugs will have to stop, as I will not be able to pay 
for them either. What can I do?'' Darla asks.
  Kimberly, from Madison, Wisconsin writes to me, ``I am writing today 
because of my family's frustration and anxiety over health care. 
Although we hear a lot of rhetoric about making health care more 
affordable and/or more available for Americans, nothing is happening, 
at least not soon enough.
  ``Let me briefly share our story,'' Kimberly proceeds. ``My husband 
recently started his own business. Obviously, it will take some time 
for his new company to see any profits, much less income. In the 
meantime, we are without health insurance. I am 5 months pregnant, and 
we have a 2-year-old son. Because of my preexisting condition, we 
cannot buy affordable health coverage. COBRA would cost us $1,200 per 
month. I am currently applying for Medicaid and other forms of public 
assistance as a last resort. This is ridiculous.
  ``As someone with no insurance, I wonder what could possibly be the 
problem with implementing a public health care system. Oh, I have heard 
the horrible stories about having fewer choices in doctors or longer 
waiting lists for procedures and less incentive among doctors and 
researchers to develop new technologies. But what is most frightening 
to me is the chance that my son might get sick, or my baby might be 
born with expensive complications while we are uninsured.
  ``I am not naive. I know that funding public health care is an issue. 
But is it wise to sacrifice the health and well-being of American 
citizens to avoid the challenge of implementing a change? I, for one, 
would be satisfied to pay more for goods and services if I could rest 
assured that my family's basic health care needs were being met.''
  David, from Cross Plains, Wisconsin writes, ``My wife and I have been 
self-employed for over 18 years, and have paid thousands of dollars for 
health insurance premiums. As of a few months ago, we had to drop out 
and are now without health insurance. The cost is completely out of 
reach. In fact, it is nuts. Now that I am 50 years old, it is not a 
matter of if I will have health problems, it is a matter of when. 
Tammy, we will lose everything we have ever worked for. So much for the 
American dream. Now we look forward to dying broke and possibly 
homeless.''
  Victor, from Stoughton, Wisconsin, writes, ``My wife can only work 
part time because of her health. Her employer offers a generic policy 
that costs only $3.97 per week and requires no background check. This 
policy covers basically nothing. Medical supplies, check-ups, doctors' 
visits necessary on a routine basis for my wife to survive are now not 
covered. My wife is uninsurable because of her health, and we have been 
turned down for health insurance that we have applied for. We cannot 
believe that this is happening.''
  Ronald, from Deerfield, Wisconsin writes, ``I was on COBRA insurance 
for 3 years, which ended this past fall. I spent from March until 
September trying to get private insurance, but could not because of my 
neck injury. I was, in effect, looked at and dismissed by 33 private 
insurance companies because of my preexisting condition with my neck 
injury. Imagine how you would feel, after being dismissed by this many 
companies. I was finally insured through disability and Medicare. The 
sad reality of it is that if I want to try to work full-time again, I 
cannot, because in doing so it would cost me the only insurance options 
that I have left.
  ``The truth is that many other countries can and do provide equitable 
health insurance to all of their citizens, no matter what preexisting 
conditions they have, or their ability to pay, or what income level 
they have. I believe this country does have top-notch medical 
facilities, but not decent or equitable insurance for the poor and 
middle-income families.
  Susan, from Baraboo, Wisconsin writes me, ``I am writing you today 
regarding health insurance coverage for single people with no children. 
As of this time, I feel that I am left out of the loop in regards to 
this topic. I am 42, and last September I was diagnosed with breast 
cancer. In January of this year, the company that I worked for informed 
us that they would be closing down. I was laid off in December while I 
was out due to my cancer treatment. I have been searching for health 
care coverage everywhere because my COBRA will be going up, and I am on 
unemployment and barely able to pay the $244.76 for the coverage now. I 
cannot get insurance because of the breast cancer.
  ``The High Risk State Insurance Program, which is the Wisconsin 
program, is too expensive for me to get coverage, since they want 4 
months of premiums up front, and as they only cover some things. What 
are single people supposed to do,'' Susan asks? ``We don't qualify for 
any government assistance because we are single. We cannot go without 
insurance. There are no programs to help us out. So when you are 
working on health care in the House of Representatives, please remember 
that there are other single people out there also in my shoes. I am at 
a crossroads because I have no avenue for assistance when it comes to 
health care. Come November, I will be unable to get coverage when I 
need it at this point in my life:
  Janet from Portage, Wisconsin writes, ``I have a 53-year-old brother 
who has psoriasis all over his body and arthritis that is caused by 
this. Three weeks ago he fell and needs surgery on his shoulder to 
repair it. He has no job, no money, and no insurance. We started 
looking for a program to help him. There are none that we can find. 
There is nothing to get him help to get his shoulder fixed. But after 
it heals wrong and he is disabled because of it, then there are 
programs to help him. They won't help him get it fixed so he can find a 
good job. Instead, they would rather support him for the rest of his 
life instead of trying to help him now:
  Gail, from Janesville, Wisconsin writes, ``My husband recently lost 
his job. He applied for over 100 positions, only to be told that he 
lacked a college degree, or he is overqualified, or that they can only 
pay $8 an hour. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 1998, and 
again in 2003. I have gone through breast cancer twice, and have 
undergone a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. COBRA has run out, 
and without a stable income, we cannot afford to pay the premiums for 
our own health care policy. My husband is 59 and I am 58, and we have 
no medical coverage. I have looked into every insurance company and get 
turned down because of my medical history. All our lives we have paid 
into these insurance companies, only to be turned away when we need the 
coverage the most.''

                              {time}  2245

  Lastly, I want to relay a story that was shared with me by Laurie. 
Laurie is a fourth grade teacher in the Madison, Wisconsin, public 
school system. Laurie recently had a student fall during recess and 
break his foot. Laurie wrote: ``As he was waiting, in extreme pain and 
cold, for the school nurse to get to him, he cried to an assistant 
waiting with him, 'I can't go to the doctor. We don't have 
insurance.'''
  That a 9- or 10-year-old boy should think even something like this is 
an atrocity.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that as Cover the Uninsured Week continues, my 
colleagues will join me in recognizing that obtaining comprehensive, 
affordable health care presents a very real challenge for millions upon 
millions of Americans. We cannot turn a deaf ear to our constituents' 
pleas for help. I invite my colleagues to join me in working on this 
most pressing domestic priority to provide affordable health care for 
all Americans.

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