Vermont Voices is a collection of health care related stories from around the state. They are told by individuals, caregivers, and health care professionals. They focus on the devastating effect the health insurance industry has on individuals, families and businesses.
Our goal is to continue to grow the voices and reasons for moving to an inclusive health care system. Please click here and add your story to our Vermont Voices page.
By, Donald Bodwell, Brandon
My wife and I are retired teachers from CT, and we have to purchase health insurance through our last employer for seven more years until age 65. The cost of that family policy is $1,660 per month, offset $400 by subsidies from the Retirement Board and the collective bargaining agreement, which means our cost is $1,220 per month. Whatever the cost is in 2012, it will be an additional $220 out of our pockets when one of the subsidies expires. In total, we spent over $17,000 dollars this year on premiums, dental, and vision care. Thankfully we do not have any prescription needs!
My point is, when one spends 34% on health care under the present system, it is clearly time for a change. And the only sane reform is the single payer one.
I know that many folks have circumstances that are far worse..For all of us,please, let’s work tirelessly for the single payer solution.
By, Dr. Adam Sorscher, Hanover, NH
I see people struggling because of lack or insurance or insufficient insurance everyday in my practice as a family doctor. Not infrequently, one will say to me “I guess I am one of those stories about why we need health care reform” and I will reply, “your story is not that unusual — I see 3 or 4 people like you everyday!!
I have a patient who is 60 years old with diabetes and hypertension. He struggles to afford his medications (co-payments) and to afford healthy food choices. His wife takes very good care of him. When they came recently, she remarked that she wished she had me for a doctor but can’t afford to come to my clinic — instead, she goes to the “Good Neighbor” clinic which I guess charges according to ability to pay. I was surprised — the husband works hard for the city roads dept. “Isn’t your wife on your health insurance plan?”. “Can’t afford to add her”, was his reply. It made me reflect on what a sad state of affairs it is that he can have a full time job with the city and work long hours, and yet doesn’t make enough to purchase health insurance for his wife. I am sure that a generation ago, a full time job generally supported an entire family’s needs. When I mentioned this to the patient, he informed that he actually works two jobs and still struggles to meet the bills.
Karen Klotz, Hardwick
My husband and I are currently spending $179.00/month to purchase health insurance through my employer and still have to pay a $4,000 deductible before anything is paid for. Because of this we never go to the doctor for preventative care because we know we will have to pay for it. If we had a single payer system that covered preventative care it would save money in the long-run, as people would get the care they needed when they needed it. I would be happy to pay into the single-payer system (and hopefully my employer could put the money they spend on my insurance toward it too) to actually have my care paid for without having to meet a high deductible. Please help us to achieve the single payer system in Vermont.
Denise Parker, White River Junction
My husband and I were on Medicade for many years when he was in school and worked part time. I can not work because I have an auto-immune disease. Now that he is out of school he can not find a job in his field due to the economy. We live on one paycheck making 25 dollars to much for medicaid. They put us on Green Mtn. Care and must pay deductibles, for each script. for each Dr. visit and 20% of blood tests, etc. That 25 dollars is eaten up with 1 doctor visit and 1 script. I take 6 scripts a day and see the doctor every 2 months. That doesn’t include my regular doctor and my husband. We cant pay all these out of pocket bills. We need single payer and we understand we will all have to pay a little more in taxes for this. We cant afford not to. Thank you for your time and God Bless.
Jess Wagener, ER Doctor, Middlebury
I am an emergency room physician in Middlebury. In my practice I see every day the effect our irrational and unequal system has on ordinary people. The people I see who are most adversely affected by the current system are middle class – farmers and small business owners who don’t work for the state or a large corporation. These people have access only to expensive private insurance plans with high deductibles. They delay seeking regular care or treatment for minor problems, allowing small problems to become big ones. They don’t have prescription plans and can’t afford the price of medication that they need.
For these families, even a minor illness or injury can push them over the edge into financial ruin. It is very sad to tell a patient that they need an X-Ray or CT scan only to be told – Doctor I just can’t afford it. I’m still paying off medical expenses from a previous illness. These are hardworking members of our community
Nancy Welch, Professor, Burlington
When my husband was diagnosed with tumors in both kidneys and his brain, our health insurance provider assigned us a case worker–not to help us coordinate his care but instead to restrict his access to care. Each time he needed to see a specialist, each time a doctor ordered a test or a radiation treatment, we had to contact the case worker who would later inform us that our request had been denied. We then had to appeal and wait critical days and weeks before each request was finally approved. The tumors in my husband’s kidneys were on the verge of metastasis; the brain tumor threatened the vision in his only eye. The practice that private insurance must pursue if it is to squeeze a profit from health care–the practice of limiting access or discouraging use of benefits–was aimed at
Ellen Powell, South Burlington
I am keeping fingers and toes crossed for single Payer in VT because I live on the edge of poverty and my health insurance relies on how many college students sign up for bass lessons at SUNY Plattsburgh each semester. If I don’t get enough, I don’t get health insurance. At the end of each semester I bite my nails, wondering if I’m going to get enough students signed up for the next semester to qualify for their health insurance for a few more months. It’s been like this for three years, is nerve wracking and it sucks. If there was a safety net under me of single payer in VT I would
Paul Martin, South Burlington
As a Canadian now living in Vermont, I’ve lived for most of my life with a single payer system and have seen first-hand how much more efficient it can be. More important than anything, though, is how much better it would be for the day-to-day life of Vermonters. Imagine being able to switch jobs, create your own business, hire an employee, or raise children without ever having to think twice about whether you will have access to healthcare. This is the reality for everyone in every other major country in the world. Economically, this would be a huge boost to the Vermont economy and would be phenomenal for business. What business would not want to move to Vermont if their cost of providing healthcare was dropped dramatically. Imagine how much more we could achieve this way! This would raise both the standard of living and the quality of life in Vermont.
If you’re looking for examples of how Vermont could become the leader in the US for reform, look no further than
Kathy Keitkamp, Nurse, Weybridge
Once again, my husband and I are without health insurance. We are waiting to hear if we qualify for Green Mountain Care or any other program. My husband, a self-employed contractor, who had been sub-contracting, was laid off. He is just beginning to work again, and hopefully build back his previous business. We had self-paid our insurance, because of my health issues. I have a re-current cancer. When my husband was laid off we no longer could pay for the health insurance. Now, we feel as if we wasted our money, since we ended up without being able to afford health insurance again.