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Kate Alan never really thought much about her health insurance — until her husband was let go by General Motors and with it, their coverage.
For the first time in her life, Alan really feared the prospect of getting sick
"One false move, and you can be destroyed," she said. "I was put in that position."
Alan's lack of coverage was only temporary until her husband found another job.
But Cathy and Ron Hier of Madison Heights weren't as fortunate. Ron, a computer programmer, is unemployed and neither he nor his wife is old enough to qualify for Medicare.
"There's no way we can put out $300 to $400 a month for health insurance," Cathy said.
So they simply do without and hope to avoid illness.
Alan and the Hiers were three of about 20 tri-county area residents who brought the national debate on health care to Macomb County on Friday when U.S. Rep. Sander Levin hosted a roundtable discussion at the Roseville Public Library.
Levin, a Royal Oak Democrat who represents most of Macomb County, told the invited guests President Barack Obama is determined to reform the nation's health care system so Americans like Alan and the Hiers don't face those dilemmas.
"The goal is to reform health care this year," Levin said. "Not next year, or the year after. For us, this is a major issue."
Levin provided those gathered for the discussion health care facts and figures that underscored the extent of the problem in the United States.
Health care premiums for family coverage have nearly doubled in the past eight years.
More people file for bankruptcy due to
medical bills than any other reason; half of foreclosures are related to paying health care costs;
More than 86 million Americans were without health insurance for some period in 2007 or 2008;
Nearly 160 million citizens have insurance through their employers, but many are "just a pink slip away from joining the ranks of the uninsured."
"What we have is a large increase in the number of uninsured, a large increase in cost and real problems of quality," the congressman said.
Levin's guests included health care professionals, working men and women, the unemployed and seniors. Many shared their vision of a health care system that serves rather than straps Americans.
One woman described battling an insurance company that denied coverage for her son, who suffers a genetic disease.
"These insurance companies will say no to you in a heartbeat," she said.
Levin said the national debate over health care reform is getting serious attention in Washington. The effort spearheaded by then first lady Hillary Clinton in 1993, while "well-intentioned," Levin said, was simply "unworkable."
"We're doing it differently this time," he said.
Levin acknowledged "deep divisions" among lawmakers about health care reform and conceded Washington "isn't entirely clear how we're going to do this."
We're going to have a lot of debate," he said. "A lot of healthy debate. But we want to reach a conclusion this year."
Levin plans to conduct additional roundtable discussions in the coming months.
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