As your constituent, I'm writing to tell you why I'm such a strong supporter of health reform.
My husband H is an entrepreneur who makes his living by imagination. He is a writer, a musician, a businessman, a leader. His work enriches the lives of thousands of people around the world every day, and yet he struggles daily with a disease that is uncovered by any insurance plan. As a graduate student at the University of Montana, he was covered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield until he graduated. His coverage was fortunate, for during his time there, he was suffering from, and eventually diagnosed with, ulcerative colitis. However, once he graduated from school, BC/BS would not continue his coverage because ulcerative colitis (UC) is a "pre-existing condition" which they do not want to be responsible for covering. After nearly a year of attempting to get insurance, he finally received limited disaster insurance from a state-run program which will only cover those who cannot get insured anywhere else. However, nothing related to UC will ever be covered by them, or any privately owned insurance company.
UC is an autoimmune disease wherein the body's own immune system attacks the colon, essentially resulting in "road rash" along the length of the affected area. It is a painful, often debilitating disease that impairs quality of life to a great extent. There is no cure. People with UC, like H, are on some sort of medication (often steroids) for the rest of their life, and in the best case scenarios, are able to enjoy remission (of a sort - bowel function is never "normal" again) for several years at a time before another "flare-up" makes life difficult to live again. The worst case scenarios have their colons removed entirely, which is a "solution" most would wish to avoid. All cases have to have regular colonoscopies because the chances of colon cancer rise dramatically for people with UC.
My husband H, who makes a living that supports us both by the sheer strength of his own imagination, ingenuity and drive, deserves your consideration in this vote. He pays for his prescriptions out of his own pocket - last year the cost for prescriptions alone was nearly $4000. Four Thousand Dollars. To maintain a somewhat limited quality of life. H and I are, fortunately, able to afford such an exorbitant expense - but how many other young people with UC (diagnoses of which is rising yearly) are not? How many other young people are having the legs of their chance for a productive future kicked out from under them because they cannot afford their prescription or the regular care of a gastroenterologist?
Congressman Rehberg, please think of my husband H in the upcoming vote on health care. Use YOUR imagination to put yourself and your loved ones in our position. Please don't condemn H and I to a life in limbo - we are managing with medical costs for the present - but who is to say what the future will hold? Entrepreneurialism is exciting and can be profitable, but security is one thing it does not boast.
We are not the only ones struggling daily with these issues, nor are we even close to the the worst case scenario. You can see the stories and photos of other Americans from your district and across the nation, at http://my.barackobama.com/HereFor
There is no time to "throw this bill out and start over" - the time for action is Now. Please, take action for H, and for our country's future.
Thank you.
