CBS 6 – WRGB
Albany, NY
http://www.cbs6albany.com/articles/story-1265748-insurance-demonstration.html
“I almost died,I should have had health insurance.” Those words from Beverly Padgett Thursday as she shared her story during a demonstration outside of the Leo O’brien Federal Building in Downtown Albany.
Padgett was part of a mid day rally staged by the group known as ‘Health Care For America Now’,a consortium of grassroots community organizations from around the country who are lobbying to get more support behind President Obama’s Health Care Reform legislation.
The Albany woman said she lost her job and health insurance in the Spring and could not afford her Diabetes medication. That led to a hospital stay in July which left Padgett with a $23,000 dollar medical bill. In the past few days Padgett finally was approved for coverage by Family Health Care Plus. But she says her story is just one of thousand in Albany especially among low income families.
The Health Care rally brought the young and old carrying placards urging the public to support the ‘public option’ portion of the President’s bill.
Congressman Paul Tonko (D-Amsterdam) spoke passionately about the need to include the ‘public option’ in the legislation and that this reform package could help 1,200 Capitol Region families stay out of Bankruptcy court and help 15,000 area businesses qualify for tax credits to set up employee based health care.
