6/8/2008

in

Individuals with diseases who have low income left with no assistance.

Steve Ruback

Consumer Reports Health has provided a feature story at Cover America Tour's Web site about a woman named Kathy who lives in Earlville, New York. The video is a tragic exemplification of how our nation's health care system negatively affects those who cannot afford health insurance that also have diseases.  
  
  
  
Kathy explains to the viewer in the video the specific circumstances under which she is in desperate need of health insurance. Stricken with diabetes, she was once able to possess health insurance several years ago through her husband, which gave her the opportunity to obtain diabetic medication. Her husband at the time has since retired and the couple divorced, which resulted in the health insurance being taken away.  
  
The job availability in Earlville, New York is underwhelming to say the least, which makes it extremely difficult for those in the area to make a desired level of income. That combined with the fact that she is currently on Social Security makes it impossible for her to afford health insurance, which would provide her with the necessary medication to help her cope easier with diabetes.  
  
Kathy explains how her situation affects her ability to afford health insurance in the video, saying, "You either have to be 100 percent broke and you can get Medicaid or if you have any money at all, they take that against you."  
  
  
  
If you're interested in visualizing Kathy's story for yourself, the following is a link to her video at Cover America Tour's Web site:  
  
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