Rally hopes to bridge gap in health insurance
Iowa City Press-Citizen
Health
care was the focus Saturday at Hubbard Park as about 300 people rallied
for improved access to health care insurance for all.
Bridge
the Gap, highlighted by a march across the Iowa Avenue bridge, was one
of several events across the country that highlighted the lack of
medical coverage for about 82 million Americans, as a Family USA survey
found. That includes 637,000 Iowans, most coming from working families,
the survey said.
Iowa Lt.
Gov. Sally Pederson highlighted the lack of health care coverage for
some Iowans, saying people cannot be satisfied with numbers of those
who do have coverage.
“If you don't have health care insurance you can die,” Pederson said. “I believe it's a right. You believe it's a right.”
A
speaking highlight was by Pat Swancutt of Spencer, who spoke of her
18-year-old granddaughter Janelle Polson dying in 2001 after not being
able to get tests for an unknown medical condition. Her daughter and
Janelle's mother, Lisa Scott, was speaking at a similar rally at San
Francisco's Golden Gate bridge, she said.
(more)
Background: Bridge march highlights gap
Iowa City Press-Citizen
When Pat Swancutt planned her retirement party four years ago, she was excited about spending more time with her grandchildren.
Little
did she know that while she was celebrating with friends, her
18-year-old granddaughter was dying of a heart attack. It was a death
that could have been avoided if her granddaughter had health insurance,
Swancutt said.
“She had
blackouts, chest pain and terrible headaches for about 15 months before
she died,” Swancutt said. “Every time she went to the doctor, they just
gave her antibiotics and said it would eventually go away. It finally
got so bad that she asked for a chest X-ray.”
But when doctors found out that Janelle Scott had no health insurance, they advised against the test.
“On my
granddaughter's death certificate, they put that she possibly died due
to arrhythmia,” Swancutt said. “On her medical records, the doctors
wrote that they 'told this girl she needed health insurance for those
tests.'”
Today,
Janelle's mother, Lisa Scott, is marching across the Golden Gate Bridge
in San Francisco to protest the high cost of health care. She is one of
thousands marching in Bridge the Gap Rallies across the country,
including one in Iowa City
(more)
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