Scroll down the page to read statements from:
- Dr. Travis Harker, Concord Family Health Center
- David Le Blanc II, Veteran and Keene Resident
- Lynn and Barry Goldman, Owners of Coffee Roasters International
- John Mendolusky, President of the NH Alliance for Retired Americans
Statement from Dr. Travis Harker, Concord Family Health Center
I am a family doctor. I deliver babies, care for children and adults, and even do a few house calls for elderly patients of mine. Most importantly, I care for people regardless of their ability to pay.
I'm proud of the Concord Family Health Center at Concord Hospital because of our mission to serve people regardless of their ability to pay. For me, working there gives me the opportunity to do my part to care for people and help prevent them falling in the cracks of our broken healthcare system. As we all know, the system is broken in fundamental ways. Health care costs too much, when you have insurance it doesn't cover enough, high quality care is not a guarantee, and millions of people go with out care or medications endangering their lives.
I love my job because I can help people who don't have other places to turn to get the care they need. But there is too much need and too few clinics like mine. I envision a system that opens all doors to care for anyone in need. Until this happens I will certainly be busy, and too many people will suffer because too many doors are shut due to lack of insurance and the high cost of health care. We must stand together to open the doors of healthcare and put people first.
If we did, we could help prevent or slow some diseases and ailments. For example, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in people over age 50 so everyone needs to be screened, however, the best screening method is a colonoscopy. How many have you are over 50 and have been screened? I have a patient - we'll call him John - who works hard to support his family but his job doesn't provide insurance. John has a family history of colon cancer and is afraid that he may someday get it as well and would like to be screened but cannot afford the $2000 it would cost him for the procedure. John lives in fear because of this. He shouldn't have to live in fear, none of us should. Today, we demand healthcare reform to help John and the millions of Americans who share his fear to come out of the shadow of fear and take control of healthcare and their lives again.
Or take the cost of drugs ... medications are too expensive. Anyone agree with that? I prescribe generic drugs as often as possible because they are more affordable and are in most cases equally effective. However, sometimes generics aren't available and people without insurance go without essential medications because the name brands cost too much. Even people with insurance have to fight with their insurance companies to get medications they need, and I spend hours a week working on prior authorizations for medications that people need. That time could be better spent caring for people. After all, I went to medical school because I wanted to serve people, not fight with bean counters on the phone.
These are one of the many reasons why I consider myself a Health Care Voter and am pushing for comprehensive health care reform.
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Dr. Travis Harker is a family doctor at Concord Family Health Center at Concord Hospital. He is active in pushing for comprehensive health care reform and volunteers with New Hampshire for Health Care.
Statement from David Le Blanc II, Veteran and Keene Resident
My name is David LeBlanc and I have no health care coverage. That reality, plus working and volunteering at the Community Kitchen in Keene six days a week, has made health care a top priority for me.
We see a lot of people come into the Community Kitchen without health care coverage. It’s not only that health insurance has become too expensive for a lot of people, but sometimes it’s actually health-related expenses that are the source of stress on a family’s tight budget. Medical costs are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S.
I’m not surprised, given the skyrocketing cost of health care. I served 8 ½ years in the Air Force and qualify for benefits as a Veteran – but only if I trek to the VA hospitals in White River Junction, Vermont or Manchester for health care.
I’ve looked into the costs for a family health care policy similar to one I had for my family of five, 19 years prior.
Back then, I had a job with decent, affordable health care coverage. I paid $12.50 a week in premiums. It was well worth it – when my pregnant wife was rushed to the regional hospital at 19 weeks, we stepped onto a roller coaster of health care bills and hospital stays as the doctors worked to keep our child from being born too early. After my wife spent 3 ½ months in bed, our daughter Katelyn was delivered C-section. We had an $1100 co-pay back then, and we have a beautiful 18 year old daughter now.
Today, my research suggests that the cost would be $250 a week for the same benefits. I can’t even imagine what a co-pay might be.
How can a family afford to pay so much of their income for health care coverage? What if my family were in the same situation today? We need to lower health care costs and make sure that every family, every American has access to quality, affordable health care.
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David Le Blanc II and other local residents have recently formed the Cheshire County Action Group for Health Care Reform. Organizational sponsors are New Hampshire for Health Care and Working Families Win.
Statement from Lynn and Barry Goldman, Owners – Coffee Roasters International
(Barry) Good morning. We’re the owners of Coffee Roasters International in Woburn, a small business in Massachusetts, although we live about 25 miles away in southern NH. We’re a very small business, with three of us on payroll.
(Lynn) We support National Cover the Uninsured Week because we’ve experienced first-hand how hard it is for small businesses to afford and maintain health care coverage. For several years in a row, we saw our premiums increase every spring – usually by $100 to $125 a month. It grew until when we just couldn’t afford to pay thousands of dollars in premiums alone.
For four years, we had to go without medical care. During that time we spent countless hours exhausting the internet and insurance agents trying to find affordable health care. Only last year were we finally able to hook up with a small business organization – essentially, a small business insurance pool - and get health care coverage, but just for my husband. We only have it for him because that alone costs us $532 a month. It would be doubled for me. Thank goodness, our employee has health care coverage through his wife’s plan. We just wouldn’t be able to afford to offer it.
(Barry) It’s not right that hard-working families like ours are unable to find quality, affordable health care coverage. Lynn and I stay active, playing tennis and helping run the local tournaments. We try to eat right. I think that’s helped us keep healthy with fewer colds and other things, but I’m still concerned that my wife doesn’t have health care coverage. There are many silent diseases out there that affect people, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. You don’t necessarily know or feel the effects of any of those things or other diseases that might be lurking. Without the use of a blood test or other testing devices, you just don’t even know if you’re at risk or have something.
(Lynn) For example, one of the reasons we finally overlooked the high cost of health insurance for Barry was because I was concerned that he had something on his shoulder that was not healing. We felt that it was a cancerous situation. As of May 2007, we had his health care coverage and were able to have him go to a doctor for a biopsy. Sure enough, he’s had the bump removed and it was basal cell cancer. Luckily, that’s a slow-growing cancer, but I thought, “Gee, if this had been something more serious, and life-threatening, then somebody could have died while they were waiting to buy into a program for health insurance.” You can’t even get a yearly physical without an incredible out-of-pocket expense if you don’t have health care coverage.
(Barry) We think everyone should have access to quality, affordable health care. Our health depends on it.
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Lynn and Barry Goldman live in Windham, New Hampshire and own Coffee Roasters International, based in Woburn, Mass. They are Health Care Voters with New Hampshire for Health Care.
Statement of the New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans
The New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans brings together retirees from organized labor and community based groups. We stand for strong a Social Security system and pensions — and quality, affordable healthcare including prescription drugs. We support a healthcare system covering every American.
We have been around the block a few times, and we remember what the naysayers were saying when Medicare was first proposed. The critics predicted it would be a disaster, using typical scare tactics concerning where it would lead. Well, 43 years later, Medicare has proved not only to be a huge success but an absolute savior for millions of America’s seniors.
However, quality, affordable healthcare is not merely a seniors’ issue. We care about those who, for whatever reason, have to retire before they are old enough for Medicare. Forced into early retirement - too many Americans today end up lacking healthcare protection. We demand a system that provides quality, affordable healthcare for our children and grandchildren.
Americans pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world. These ever-increasing prescription drug costs are a major contributor to the high cost of America’s healthcare. We call upon New Hampshire senators to vote to allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers for volume discounts Having been consumers for years, we know you pay less when you buy in large volumes. The Veteran’s Administration saves approximately 50% in prescription drug costs by negotiating with the Pharmaceutical companies for volume discounts. Volume discounts are a no brainer. So what does that say for Senators Gregg and Sununu, both of whom voted against New Hampshire’s seniors on this very volume discount issue last year. Based on their voting records they should be labeled Senators Grinch and Sunoco.
Look around at this group assembled here today. What you see here is all the proof one needs that the America’s people stand united behind quality, affordable single payer healthcare for every American – from border to border, from coast to coast, from sea to shining sea.
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John Mendolusky is the President of the New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans. He lives in Amherst.