HealthCareForAmericaNow

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SEVEN FAMILIES DENIED CARE

Kelly Arellanes, an AT&T worker from Arkansas, who was in a coma for three weeks after a 2004 horseback riding accident. Kelly and her husband David had to pay more than $200,000 in medical bills when Kelly's emergency surgery was not covered by UnitedHealthcare.

Sharon Lantz, a realtor from Delaware, whose UnitedHealthcare plan forces her to pay for her cancer care "out of pocket," requiring her to get chemotherapy medication from India (in order to afford it). Sharon cannot afford breast reconstruction.

Courtney Jenkins-Atnip, a mother of a toddler from Tennessee, who was denied medication for Crohn's disease by UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare had approved the same medication 12 months earlier. By the time coverage was reinstated, Courtney's condition had deteriorated, and she was forced to undergo serious surgery and miss 2 months of work.

Kevin Scott, a former Marine officer, who has a brain tumor. Kevin's MRIs, lab work, and treatment for side effects (like skin problems) are not covered through his BCBS Anthem plan which he retains through COBRA. When Kevin got sick, he left a good job in Virginia and moved in with his retired parents William & Elretha Scott in California who are trying to help pay bills that are now in the thousands and going up.

Stephanie Beck Bordon of Ohio whose parents were in an accident that left her mother dead and her father in intensive care for 5 weeks. Stephanie had to battle insurance companies constantly to get her father vital treatments for his injuries so that he could walk again.

Georgeanne Koehler of Pennsylvania whose brother died of a heart attack in March after CIGNA and others refused to insure him because he had heart arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat).

Ian Pearl of Florida, who was born with muscular dystrophy, suffered respiratory arrest in 1991. He went on a ventilator, and saw his premiums rise to $3,736/month. In 2006, Guardian began an effort to get rid of unprofitable plans, calling the claimants "dogs" and dropping all policies like Ian’s. Ian will lose coverage for the 24-hour care that keeps him alive on Dec. 1, 2009, and his family faces $700,000/yr. in out-of-pocket costs. Ian cannot travel so his mother Susan Pearl will come to DC on his behalf. Read Ian's story in his own words here.

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Subject:	Stand with us
Message:	Friend: I wanted to share with you what happened in Washington, D.C. the other day. Hundreds of people marched outside of the Capitol Hilton, where the health insurance industry was having a conference. They marched in support of people who's lives have been turned upside-down by the insurance companies, who were inside the hotel asking for an audience with insurance company executives and lobbyists. These are people who've been sick, gone bankrupt, and lost family members because the insurance companies denied them care. Insurance industry representatives were given an opportunity to meet with these people, and they turned them down. Watch the video: http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/invite/victims The amount of support we brought to these families so affected by the insurance companies really meant a lot to them. Please share this video with your friends and family like I'm sharing it with you so we can get the word out farther about our campaign for real health care reform. Click here to watch and spread the word: http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/invite/victims Thank you.