These stories come from the real people who live with a broken health care system. Some have health insurance and some do not. Many of these stories suggest potential solutions* that lead to quality, affordable health care we can count on. One thing we all agree on is that the we cannot trust the insurance industry to fix themselves. To learn more about what Health Care for America Now stands for read our Statement of Common Purpose.
We wanted to give you a chance to speak for yourself, in your own voice, about the need for Health Care for America Now. Do you have something to say? Tell us your story.
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Amy
Arcata, CA
My name is Amy, I am only 32 years old and I was diagnosed with a life threatening disease, Churg-Strauss Vasculitis. Its so rare that the treatment required, uses medications that are normally used for transplant patients. That treatment is also the one medication that keeps me alive. With the new Medicare part D I have fought with three different providers, alongside my doctor and his Medical Assisant. They denied the medication evertime I refilled it, almost causing me to go backwords in my treatment. Having an aggressive form of the disease makes it so any misstep in treatment could cause my body to attack itself one again and this time it would likely kill me, it would be slow and painful, my lungs would fill up with fluid to the point of drowning me, if me hear and kidneys continued to function, I would be put on maasive amounts of steroids, which would slowly break down my veins, that are already damaged from my severe vascular disease. I had to get a lawyer in order to even get on disability, because my nerve, kidney, heart, lung, sinus, small and medium blood vessel damage, was not enough.
My doctor spends more time dealing with Medicare Part D crap, than he does with his patients. He doesn't get reimbursed for three months, if at all. Hw is he suppossed to feed his family and pay his bills? We live in a rural area and he tries his hardest o help all of his patients, its time we acknowledged our unreliable and distructive health care system.
I don't want to see what happened to me, happen to anyone else.
*Health Care for America Now is not responsible for the content of these stories. These stories are submitted by individuals in the online audience and have been edited in some cases. Health Care For America Now does not endorse any of the solutions or policy positions suggested in the content of these stories. Health Care for America Now is a coalition of organizations that agree to the Statement of Common Purpose.
See our coalition partner list.
Read the Statement of Common Purpose.
