[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 2 (Thursday, January 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E29-E31]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE WALK FOR HEALTHCARE: HEALTHCARE STORIES FROM OHIO COLLECTED BY OGAN 
                              GUREL, M.D.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 6, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following stories, collected 
by Dr. Ogan Gurel.

       ``Jean doesn't want socialized medicine. But she also adds 
     that the current system doesn't pay (or reward) for 
     preventative care. But it wasn't clear to her how either the 
     free-market or government could change that. `People have to 
     take responsibility for their health,' she told me.'' Jean--
     Van Wert, 7/4/2009
       ``Todd recently lost his job as a machinist. His wife gets 
     health coverage as a school teacher but `It's not good 
     insurance,' he tells me. `The out-of-pocket payments are 
     ridiculous,' he added. They have two kids--two and four years 
     old--and he wonders what will happen if they get sick. `It's 
     a great thing you're doing,' he said, as I shook his hand, 
     thanking him, too, in return.'' Todd--Van Wert, 7/4/2009
       ``Mike, in the middle, shared with me his father's 
     situation. `He's 52 years-old, a retired GM, Delphi employee, 
     salaried, he was.' Mike looked at me to make sure I 
     understood. `He was a salaried worker,' he repeated. `Which 
     means they took away all his health benefits last April. 
     Wage-earners got to keep their benefits, you know.' I nodded 
     in acknowledgment. `So, he's too young for Medicare, and now 
     has a bad, bad situation.' '' Mike--Van Wert, 7/4/2009
       ``John, on the right, told me `I have good insurance but 
     premiums have gone up 30% in the last year.' He took me in to 
     his garage, out from drizzle, to meet his family and friends. 
     `I'm not happy with the healthcare situation,' he told me.'' 
     John--Van Wert, 7/4/2009
       ``Serving up a cup of coffee, Holly, at the Rooster coffee 
     shop, told me she doesn't have health insurance. `I hope 
     basically not to get sick,' she said with a serious look 
     beyond her youth. `Pretty much that's it.' '' Holly--Middle 
     Point, 7/4/2009
       ``Tara, the cook at the Rooster truck stop near Middle 
     Point, Ohio, has no insurance. `It's just too much . . . 
     that's the situation.' '' Tara--Middle Point, 7/4/2009
       ``Dee told me the story of her uncle. He had a heart attack 
     a few years back resulting in cardiac surgery and a bill for 
     $145,000. `Dee, I'm dying,' he said, not clear, as Dee told 
     me, whether he was referring to his health troubles or the 
     financial burdens. Dee told her uncle to change his diet, do 
     yoga, lots of walking, and other things to improve his 
     lifestyle and health. And so he heeded her advice and 
     actually, to do these things, went back to India. Returning 
     some months later, he proudly called Dee telling her that he 
     was healthier, no longer had diabetes, and no hypertension. 
     But, he lamented, `I still owe $145,000.' '' Dee--Van Wert, 
     7/5/2009
       ``Jim drove out from Ft. Wayne (after hearing the news) and 
     met up with me near Middle Point on his bike. We walked 
     together for seven miles talking healthcare and healthcare 
     reform along with many other topics. He's a Yale grad, which 
     goes to show that even traditional rivalries can walk 
     together towards a common goal. He believes in basic care for 
     all but, as he told me, `the definition of what is basic 
     becomes problematic. And those that can afford more than the 
     basic,' he added, `should be able to get it.' '' Jim--Gomer, 
     7/5/2009
       ``Nancy is 60, without work and without health insurance. 
     She has recently moved in with her mother. She has two 
     prescriptions which cost her $140 a month and works odd jobs 
     to pay for one of these. She lives one day at a time and 
     hopes that there'll be healthcare reform, `So people like me 
     can get the prescriptions we need.' We met on a porch in 
     Gomer (she was helping to clean up someone's home) where she 
     brought me some juice. Here she is on the roadside near Lima, 
     later that afternoon, bringing me a glass of water as she was 
     driving to her mother's place.'' Nancy--Gomer, 7/5/2009
       ``Gloria's husband died three years ago. She now has $1,600 
     a month between Social Security and the Ford pension. `It's a 
     good plan,' with prescriptions at $2 each, she told me. Her 
     other story, which bothered her deeply, was about her son. He 
     had retired after 22 years of distinguished service in the 
     Navy--the highly stressful submarine service once dueling 
     daily, in secret, with the Soviet Navy. He had a quadruple 
     bypass and also an abdominal aneurysm operation. `All that 
     went well,' she said, `but he had a very tough time getting 
     reimbursed, especially since his operations left him very 
     sick and weak.' He had to fight to reimbursed while lying in 
     bed recovering. `I've seen other veteran's have the same 
     struggles,' Gloria told me. `And it's a real shame we treat 
     our heroes this way.' '' Gloria--Lima, 7/5/2009
       ``Grace, the youngest, hasn't had any healthcare troubles 
     and is hoping to get insurance as a student when she enrolls 
     in college. She does believe that some sort of healthcare 
     reform is necessary.'' Grace--Lima, 7/5/2009
       ``Kimberly has a brain aneurysm, which, she told me, `they 
     are watching.' She's also had a falling bladder problem, 
     which they are not doing surgery on. In terms of insurance, 
     she's on Medicaid and Medicare but told me, `I can't afford 
     the medicines'. Otherwise, it's not been a problem. 
     Everybody,' she added smiling with a serious look, `should 
     have insurance.' Her effervescent daughter, Tiffany, gave her 
     mother a hug.'' Kimberly--Lima, 7/5/2009
       ``Steve, a financial consultant, wants the government out 
     of healthcare. He believes that health insurance should be 
     private (and through the employer). `Government messes 
     everything up,' he tells me. `Actually, I make my living 
     fixing up government accounting troubles,' he added. But he 
     does believe that the healthcare system could be much more 
     efficient.'' Steve--Lima, 7/6/2009
       ``Brad, the manager at the Lima Holiday Inn, was enormously 
     helpful and supportive of the Walk. When I met him, he agreed 
     that it's important to get the story out and told me, `it is 
     really terrible with all the uninsured. Even if you have 
     insurance,' he added, `I've seen how difficult it is dealing 
     with the insurance companies.' '' Brad--Lima, 7/6/2009
       ``With an angry look on his face, Roger told me very 
     clearly that does not like the Obama plan at all. But he also 
     doesn't like corporate interests driving reform. `We do need 
     some change--it's incredibly expensive,' he told me further, 
     citing his father's case. He had gotten a pacemaker and 
     defibrillator and, `Everything cost more than $200,000!' '' 
     Roger--New Stark, 7/6/2009
       ``Kara's 19 years old and had most recently been just under 
     her parent's health coverage. `But after nineteen, they take 
     you off,' she told me, and she's now in the process of re-
     enrolling in her own plan. During this switch, she's actually 
     without coverage. She sighed, `My current job doesn't pay 
     enough to afford insurance and then, when I'm in college, two 
     years from now, I'll have to re-apply.' She's got asthma and 
     fibromyalgia. It's a real problem, she told me as she's 
     `really worried' about pre-existing conditions disqualifying 
     her or making her insurance too expensive.'' Kara--Lima, 7/6/
     2009
       ``Kate's insurance costs her $200/month. She threw her 
     hands up and exclaimed, `That's a car payment!' She looked me 
     in the eye and continued. `So, I'm 55 and no business not 
     having insurance but I can't afford it.' She told me about 
     her carpal tunnel syndrome, that she had had a mild stroke 
     and a nagging rotator cuff injury. For the rotator cuff, she 
     can't afford the MRI. `Actually,' she added, `HCAP, a state 
     program, can take care of the actual MRI but not the reading. 
     So,' she said with a sigh, `I can't afford it.' Her husband 
     doesn't have health insurance either. `He's got two bulging 
     discs in his spine but can't do anything about it. So he 
     can't work and spends the day reclining on the couch.' '' 
     Kate--Lima, 7/6/2009
       ``Heather (on the right) is 23 and recently divorced. She 
     had good insurance through the marriage and actually had 
     significant gastrointestinal problems for which she had four 
     surgeries. She had a gall bladder operation, colonoscopies, 
     `they looked down my stomach too,' and also sinus surgery. 
     She now works two jobs (the one at Applebee's provides 
     insurance but takes up the entire paycheck). `It's so 
     strange,' she adds, `I have to get a money order to actually 
     cover it and send it to the health insurance company 
     headquarters--$120/month. But I went to the dentist and still 
     paid $30. But without insurance it cost $40, the dentist told 
     me.' She looked over at her friend, who nodded in sympathy. 
     `I don't think insurance makes sense at all.' '' Heather--
     Lima, 7/6/2009
       ``Joe, the flagger at the construction site, believes in 
     individual responsibility and accountability. `The government 
     always messes things up,' he said, but he likes the Walk--
     `you're doing a good thing,' and concluded by saying, `some 
     change is definitely needed.' '' Joe--New Stark, 7/7/2009
       ``I met John, a traveling salesman, at dinner. He's got 
     coverage, for which he is grateful for. He's been pretty 
     healthy but feels that `it is important that all people have 
     health insurance.' '' John--Lima, 7/7/2009
       ``Reuben actually stopped by the roadside to walk with me. 
     He told me the story of his nephew, who's an Ob-Gyn doctor in 
     Maryland. `His entire paycheck nearly all goes to

[[Page E30]]

     malpractice insurance,' Reuben told me. `Insurance companies 
     are trying to get everyone who can pay, even by coercion.' He 
     told me he thinks it's important to keep the profit mongering 
     out of the health insurance business. `It's devastating,' he 
     added. In terms of his own health insurance, as a child he 
     survived Hodgkin's disease but has recently been diagnosed 
     non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. `It's a risk factor of childhood 
     Hodgkin's disease,' I told him. `Yes, I know.' Though his 
     insurance was `80/20,' as he put it, he did pretty well. 
     `That's good,' I said as we took a rest by the roadside.'' 
     Reuben--Upper Sandusky, 7/8/2009
       ``Donna is the director of the Lighthouse homeless shelter 
     (where I had stayed, while in Bucyrus). It was a nice, clean 
     place which, as she told me, `helps people when their most in 
     need. The men here have gotta be clean of drugs, no criminal 
     history, but they're otherwise down-and-out.' Her husband, 73 
     years old, is now on Medicare/SSI and had a complicated 
     cardiac condition. He suffered a heart attack during a cath 
     procedure and was taken by air ambulance to Columbus. He had 
     a quadruple bypass and they ended up with $250,000 in medical 
     bills. Medicare went to 80%. They lost all their retirement 
     in the stock market and now survive only on Social Security. 
     They are filing for bankruptcy. `The angel of the poor has, 
     apparently, become poor herself because of our healthcare 
     system.' In terms of herself, Donna has no health insurance. 
     She's got atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm abnormality) as 
     well as diabetes and she pays for medicines out-of-pocket. 
     But, thinking always of those less fortunate than her, she 
     knows of many people all around who do without their 
     medications because they can't afford them.'' Donna--Bucyrus, 
     7/8/2009
       ``Gary thinks we're way over-prescribed. As he put it, `Too 
     much medicines and pharmaceutical costs are skyrocketing.' 
     He's been a retiree for the past eleven years and initially 
     his health coverage was good. But premiums have steadily 
     increased over the years so that by now more than two-thirds 
     of his retirement income goes towards health insurance. I 
     asked Gary if I could take his picture, to which he replied, 
     `Sure, why not? They can't punish me anymore.' '' Gary--
     Bucyrus, 7/8/2009
       ``Todd's a forklift operator and has generally been very 
     healthy. He once had foot surgery but had insurance. He 
     believes that hospitals gouge people because there's, `No 
     healthcare system in place, no choice, and so they can 
     overcharge those who pay, especially if out-of-pocket.' I 
     observed an interesting story with the cat, a metaphorical 
     commentary on how our healthcare system treats people. It 
     turns out the cat is near death with a urinary tract 
     infection. He could not urinate for days and the vet told 
     them that the pet, quiet hiding the entire time I was there, 
     could die any day now. As I got ready to leave, I suddenly 
     heard some desperate moaning, followed by a piercing yelp. I 
     turned around to see the cat urinating right on the floor in 
     front of his food. `Looks like he'll live another day,' said 
     Todd, standing over the now exhausted cat. Todd looked over 
     at me and added, `If he wasn't so sick, I'd slap him for 
     peeing on the floor.' It's tragically ironic that with 
     people, so many stories play out exactly the opposite: people 
     get slapped around precisely because they ARE sick.'' Todd--
     Bucyrus, 7/8/2009
       `` `As a single mom, healthcare has always been a struggle 
     for me and my children,' Kim tells me. `I have worked many 
     jobs, as a social worker, in a hospital, and now as a 
     reporter. These are good jobs but with the pay, healthcare 
     premiums are just too expensive.' Her daughter has both 
     bipolar disorder and ADHD and she was on her father's 
     insurance until January. But as Kim can't her own coverage, 
     her daughter must do with Medicaid. `Easier said than done,' 
     Kim said. It took two months for her to get approved and in 
     the meantime, Kim paid out-of-pocket over $400 for her 
     daughter's various medications. `It put us in a real 
     financial hardship with the house payment, utilities, and all 
     that.' '' Kim--Bucyrus, 7/9/2009
       ``According to George, `public delivery of health care 
     sounds like a good but it could go bad.' He added that, `Our 
     system is way over priced but if you're on a plan, you're 
     golden.' '' George--Mansfield, 7/9/2009
       ``This gentleman had Stage IV melanoma with metastases to 
     the brain. He had extensive treatments and his life was saved 
     but the biggest problem, he told me, `Was the clerical and 
     billing side. The paperwork and scheduling was horrible.' He 
     summarized his very complicated tour through the healthcare 
     system as follows: `the clinical side was wonderful, the 
     administrative a disaster.' '' Mansfield, 7/9/2009
       ``I met Linda at the drugstore during one of my regular 
     visits for antibiotic ointment. People often wonder why I buy 
     five or six tubes at a time. She told me she's OK now but 
     previously had Aetna as her health insurance carrier. `It was 
     a real problem,' she said, as no providers in her vicinity 
     were covered: 'There was no choice, I had to go all the way 
     to Columbus for my care.' '' Mansfield, 7/10/2009
       ``I stopped at Mr. T's coffee shop on the eastside of 
     Mansfield. `I have no healthcare,' Richard told me. `My 
     doctor bills are $60 and they, Medicare, pays $15. We 
     definitely need some healthcare reform.' '' Richard--
     Mansfield, 7/10/2009
       ``Glendale's a World War II vet (Coast Guard). He tells me 
     that being in the VA system, he's had no problems with health 
     care. He had a heart attack six years ago with a quadruple 
     bypass but, `now,' he said, `I'm doing fine.' He's been 
     retired for 23 years, gets his medications from the VA and 
     also receives Medicare and retirement benefits. `I hope they 
     get that healthcare in this country worked out, there's so 
     many people without it,' he said. This is a man who fought 
     for freedom; has his fight been in vain?'' Glendale--
     Mansfield, 7/10/2009
       ``On a hot afternoon, Jane's store, Munchies, was a 
     godsend. After downing water and ice cream, I asked her if 
     she had any healthcare stories. She didn't offer any, but did 
     say, `I hope something gets done for everyone to have some 
     health care insurance without hardship . . . especially for 
     our seniors.' '' Jane--Mansfield, 7/10/2009
       ``On this hot afternoon, along the long road east of 
     Mifflin, I began getting desperately thirsty. A generous 
     family answered my knock and I spoke with three generations 
     of whom the oldest, Clara, told me her story. She described a 
     situation with Aetna (Medicare supplemental plan) where her 
     husband had gotten an infection and required a ten-day course 
     of antibiotics--ten pills. `But Aetna would only authorize 
     four pills at a time,' she told me. This meant that for each 
     time, in order to fulfill the full ten-day course, they had 
     to drive forty minutes. That made three round-trips in total. 
     Such a `ridiculous expense and hassle,' she said.'' Clara--
     Ashland, 7/10/2009
       ``I had just entered Mifflin, when a woman sitting on her 
     porch waved and asked, `Are you the doctor in the newspaper?' 
     She stood up holding the newspaper in her hand as I answered, 
     yes, and approached the steps to her home. She offered me 
     water. `That's incredible, I was just reading about you--what 
     karma.' And we talked about healthcare. `The high deductibles 
     in health insurance are ridiculous,' she said. `There's a 
     lack of coverage, and you need to keep changing plans to get 
     a decent rate.' '' Sharon--Mifflin, 7/10/2009
       ``Dave has Type I diabetes (insulin-dependent) after 
     suffering a bout of pancreatitis a few years ago. `Coverage 
     keeps dropping and the cost keeps going up,' he said.'' 
     Dave--Mifflin, 7/10/2009
       ``Danelle (pictured here with her two lovely children) 
     described a situation with her cousin, Barbara. She had a 
     hysterectomy which turned out to be a very bloody operation 
     and lasted over four hours. The insurance only allowed a 36-
     hour hospital stay and the doctor said that she needed more. 
     `But,' Danelle told me wistfully, `she was kicked out 
     anyway.' '' Danelle--Mansfield, 7/10/2009
       `` `I've had no insurance most of the last year,' said Ida. 
     She herself has diabetes and her husband has a spinal 
     problems. `They were very fortunate,' she told me, because 
     her husband `got his surgery at the Cleveland Clinic under a 
     special program.' It had been an extensive operation 
     involving multiple spinal levels as well as titanium rods 
     being inserted. `But,' she said, `all medical expenses were 
     covered.' That's great, I said. `Well, otherwise, healthcare 
     has been a disaster.' '' Ida--Orrville, 7/11/2009
       ``I met Kenneth at McDonald's over breakfast. A retiree, he 
     told me he's been generally pretty healthy. Except for last 
     year when, `He came down with a serious case of pneumonia.' 
     How'd that go, I asked. `Not good. I don't feel as strong as 
     before. And, when I returned home, there was a stack of bills 
     waiting for me.' Did you have insurance? `Yes. But, the 
     insurance pays only what they think is necessary. All sorts 
     of specialists came to see me, and how would I know if it was 
     necessary or not? I ended up owing $1,800.' He hasn't 
     declared bankruptcy quite yet but, `I'm getting a lawyer,' he 
     told me. `And I'm not fully recovered!' '' Kenneth--Canton, 
     7/12/2009
       ``I met Andrew and his family at the Dairy Queen in 
     Minerva. They have a complicated story. First, there are four 
     members of the family. The youngest daughter who was too shy 
     to get her picture taken (even with her parents and older 
     sister holding the camera) is hidden behind the three. So 
     she's in the picture, but invisible (a parable for the 
     uninsured). Her story will come soon enough. First, Andrew. 
     He's a trucker, worked for CR England for four years and 
     during his employment (when he had health insurance) he had 
     an operation for a total hip replacement. `I've had this 
     problem for years,' he told me. `Pain in the hip--both hips 
     actually--and it became dangerous to use pain-killers for a 
     long time. So, I was glad to have the operation.' But the 
     company laid him off ten days after the surgery and he lost 
     his insurance. The complained for wrongful termination and he 
     was actually offered a job to return (Andrew knew the company 
     was at fault) but this new job did not offer any healthcare 
     insurance. So he had to quit. `My recovery is still slow,' 
     and with such a complicated surgery, follow-up is necessary. 
     But Andrew can't afford the $300 fee for any of the 
     appointments with the surgeon. Now the story of the little 
     girl. I didn't get her name--let's call her Jane Doe. Her 
     mother told me, `She's got a terrible problem with her teeth, 
     the dentist said bacteria is eating at her teeth and it could 
     go to her brain.' But because the family lost their coverage, 
     `We've had to cancel the operation.' So, why is Jane Doe 
     hiding from the camera? Is it because she's a shy four year-
     old? Or because she's already old enough to be embarrassed 
     about her teeth? Or perhaps she's traumatized by the whole 
     situation, even if she doesn't fully understand it. Or is she 
     simply invisible much like many of the other uninsured.'' 
     Andrew--Minerva, 7/12/2009

[[Page E31]]

       ``Joyce shared this story about her ex-husband. He had 
     recently had an accident at work. This was covered by 
     Workmen's Compensation. The emergency visit went fine but he 
     needed two heparin shots in follow-up visits to the doctor. 
     The doctor wanted $1,000 up-front even though they knew that 
     Workmen's Comp would cover it (although the receiving the 
     reimbursement often took months). `They wouldn't give him the 
     shots without the up-front payment,' and it ended up that his 
     boss loaned him the money. `See,' Joyce added, `even when you 
     do have insurance sometimes it doesn't mean nothing.' '' 
     Joyce--Lisbon, 7/13/2009
       ``For the past eleven years, Gary has had Type I diabetes 
     (insulin-dependent diabetes). Up until recently, he has never 
     had insurance. But thankfully, `the doctors have taken care 
     of me,' he said. He did tell me about a knee operation that 
     cost him about $10,000. `But now,' he said, 'his wife has a 
     job, which comes with insurance, and so I'm covered.' '' 
     Gary--Lisbon, 7/13/2009

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