Fox 40 – WICZ
Binghamton, NY
http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=9609
Community members gathered in Binghamton Thursday to support President Obama’s Health Care Plan and call for a public insurance option.
Fox 40′s Sarah Blazonis spoke with one woman who says for her, a public option would mean the difference between life and death.
Among those fighting for an alternative to expensive private health insurance in Binghamton Thursday was Bridget Kane, a breast cancer survivor who once had to choose between paying her monthly $1,000 insurance bill and going without critical treatment.
“I spent an 18-month period with no insurance at all. I skipped a lot of doctor’s appointments and, you know, at that time I should’ve been seeing a doctor every three months,” said Bridget Kane, Breast Cancer Survivor.
Rally organizers say an affordable public option would benefit everyone, including those with holes in their current plans.
“Quite often, people don’t have health insurance that covers vision, for instance, or dental coverage, and even prescription costs are way through the roo,,” said Lea Webb, Citizen Action.
Citizen Action says with Congress about to go back to work on important health care legislation, now is the time for people to get in touch with their elected representatives and express their support for a public health care option.
“By having people call their congressional representatives, it really will give them the support they need to fight against the really strong lure of the health insurance industry, who does not want to see this reform happen,” said Webb.
Today Kane is on medicare and is happy with the treatment she receives, but says a public option can’t come soon enough.
“Nobody else will ever cover anybody like me. I will never be able to get coverage except from a public option because I’ve had cancer. And there are millions of Americans in this country in the same boat,” said Kane.
