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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Melanie
mechanicsburg, PA
My husband was an IV heroin addict, attending graduate school and working, ironically, at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center (Rehab After Work, Philadelphia) as a counselor. He was a very brilliant man, going for a Ph.D in Psychology and Law degree. Recovering alcoholic, ten years sober, had developed a chronic pain condition from years of alcoholism and subsequent numerous bouts of pancreatitis and insulin dependent diabetes resulted from the damage to the pancreas. He was being prescribed pain killers from a very kind but unaware family doctor and became deeply addicted. Then met a fellow grad student who was a casual snorter of heroin and that was the beginning of the end for him. He already had needles for his diabetes. While our daughter was being born he was scoring and in the process wrecked our car. After she was born he entered treatment and his insurance company through Rehab After Work, Keystone HMO, gave him a total of ten days to rehabilitate in an inpatient facility. Exactly one month after his discharge he was dead of an overdose. That was February of 1996 when the ER's were turning people away because they were flooded with od's from bad heroin. My daughter's dad died when she was seven months old, and he was 35. His counselor in inpatient told me that in her professional opinion, he needed six months at least of inpatient rehabilitation. Someone out there behind a desk thought he only needed ten days. My daughter turns 13 this month. He's been gone for twelve long years.
*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.
