Guaranteed Healthcare

By Donna Smith, American SiCKO, Communications Specialist, CNA/NNOC

CHICAGO -- If we had a healthcare lifeboat within our sinking system, Patrick Murfin of Crystal Lake, IL, is pretty sure there’s no room on board for him.  I recently attended a hearing in McHenry, IL, on the Illinois state single payer bill, and when I heard Patrick testify, I felt sad and angry for him.

“I don't have one of those dramatic, life-and-death horror stories that so many do,” Patrick told the audience. “I'm just an older family man -- age 59 -- who lost my health insurance when I was involuntarily ‘retired’ after nearly 25 years as a public school head custodian three years ago. Since then, I have held part time jobs and contract employment without health coverage.”

He went on to talk about the tests and screenings he cannot get – those screenings we all hear are appropriate when we are in our 50s and 60s.  And he took responsibility in front of a room full of strangers and even a few reporters for his fairly typical, middle-aged American issues. “I am considerably overweight--yeah, I know it's my fault and a character fault to boot-- and (I’m) at risk for high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. I am years behind schedule for tests for colon cancer. I have urinary tract problems that could indicate an enlarged prostrate--or something worse. Twice I have simply ‘waited out’ lengthy bouts of what was either bronchitis or pneumonia.”

Here stood this man who spent his working life picking up after our young ones in their schools and keeping their buildings safe and clean apologizing for his need for routine care and wondering in front of us all if his inability to pay for appropriate tests and medical visits might mean he was unaware of some serious health issue – perhaps a cancer or the need for some simple treatment.

So why doesn’t he get health insurance? He explained, “Private insurance is completely cost prohibitive and even being added to my wife's coverage would run several hundred dollars a month. As a result, with our family’s monthly income barely able to keep up with the bills we have, I have not accessed any health care services since then (when he last had insurance three years ago), even when I incurred an ankle injury that kept me walking with a cane for the better part of a year.”

As I listened to Patrick, I had to admit that many times when we think about social policy in this nation, we tend to lean towards children and women of child-bearing age first.  Perhaps we hope that our attention to those groups will soften attitudes and allow eventual inclusion of all who need help.  But the eventuality rarely occurs. 

And Patrick was right there as living, breathing evidence that not every white, middle-aged male in America is counting his retirement nest-egg and thinking about his big travel plans for the future.  In fact, millions of American men, solid, hard working husbands and dads and brothers and uncles are worrying their way to Medicare age, just hoping they’ll live long enough.

“When asked about my health care plan, the answer is ‘Don't get sick or successfully die suddenly.’ Adult, pre-retirement men like me aren't cute or cuddly,” Patrick added. “We’re kind of a glut on the market. And every sort of half-way health care proposal out there specifically excludes us—the old ‘women-and-children-to-the-life-boats-first’ philosophy.”

While I know many women and kids have little or no access to healthcare either, Patrick’s point hit home for me, and it made me feel more determined to see that single-payer, truly universal healthcare – as written in HR676 -- becomes the law of this land.  I just never grow used to seeing and hearing wonderful and proud American people baring their souls and their perceived flaws in front of others just in the effort to say, “I’m here.  I matter.  I need help.  I need healthcare.”

We all need care.  We all have a basic human right to health care.  Everybody in, Patrick, and nobody out.