Guaranteed Healthcare

To Whom It May Concern,

I do not know where else to turn. I need to get my story out in hopes of reforming health insurance within the next 15 months or I am left with no options for health coverage due to my oral cancer diagnosis in November of 2008. On November 13th, I was officially diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. It was five days before my 29th birthday.

I often get canker sores in my mouth after eating or drinking acidic foods like orange juice, pineapple, tomatoes, ketchup, etc. This has been an ongoing battle since I was a toddler and I wouldn't eat anything without ketchup on it! After six months, it continued to grow and the pain would wake me up at night. I made an appointment with my dentist of 12 years to have him take a look at it. Within 2 hours I was at an oral surgeon's office having an immediate biopsy. 5 days later, she was practically in tears telling me it was tongue cancer.

What makes this case so special is that I am 29, do not smoke and am not a heavy drinker. This cancer primarily affects those who are heavy smokers and drinkers and do not make conscious efforts to live a healthy lifestyle. I was also made aware of two other areas of concern due to the extensive testing I went through to make sure the cancer had not spread. My lymph nodes are enlarged on the side where the cancer was in my tongue, as well as a small mass on the posterior side of my lung. Many people have random things in their body that are harmless, but because of my rare diagnosis, these are areas of concern if any sort of growth is detected.

All my doctors were stunned and constantly asking how I got this. They were as clueless as I was. On December 1st, I had surgery to remove an 1 1/2" off the side of my tongue. It turned out the cancer was very deep. I am happy to say that I have FULLY recovered! I speak without a speech impediment, which is a miracle. I was back to eating anything I wanted and chewing gum within 2 months. Occasionally biting my tongue is the worst part, but I can't complain one bit. It could definitely be worse, but my story isn't over.

I was laid off on January 9, 2009 due to the economic suffering within the architectural industry. I was eligible for COBRA and got on it right away because I knew that if I had a lapse in health coverage I would never have insurance again given my cancer diagnosis. My funds were already depleted due to deductibles, normal living expenses, etc. and my unemployment payment was very slow to be processed because I wasn't the only one laid off in the state. A miracle happened, yet again, and I was employed IN MY INDUSTRY in 3 weeks! However, they only paid once a month, so I had to go another whole month without pay. I was unable to pay my mortgage for one month, but I survived and paid all my other expenses. I was told I had to wait the 90 waiting period to have health coverage. I felt like my life was back on track. The 90 days is up at the end of this week and I WAS to have health coverage as of May 1st.

However, today I was informed that my company only offers individual policies given the very small size of the firm. I knew I wouldn't qualify as soon as the broker said that. He then asked the dreaded question if I had any health issues. I explained and he was just stunned and told me what I already knew...that I didn't qualify. As of today, I have no other options for health coverage once my COBRA coverage runs out in the next 15 months because of the cancer diagnosis. I can get a different job with a firm that has a group policy and I will be fine. COBRA protects me from having a lapse in coverage, but I have to go from a group policy to a group policy in order to be guaranteed coverage.

Getting a new job in the architecture industry right now is not an option, especially at a large firm that would have a group policy. I was so lucky to find this one given that some of my friends in the industry have been laid off for well over 6 months! My only hope is that Obama gets his way with health coverage. From what I hear, I will have options and coverage no matter my cancer diagnosis. The CT scans alone are astronomical in price WITH health coverage, I can only imagine what my financial situation would become if I ended up paying out of pocket for my medical tests and doctors' visits. Thank God that the COBRA rates have been reduced significantly, otherwise my current financial situation would be too much to continue to handle. Thank you for letting me share my story.

Sincerely, Joanna R