The following testimony was given by certified nursing assistant Cindy R. at a press conference held at the Iowa state capitol. She added the postscript ten months later, after her husband passed away.
Good morning all! I’m a direct-care worker and a member of the Iowa Caregiver’s Advisory Council. I have come here this morning to educate and be educated, so that we can all work together to improve the health care system for the direct-care workers and those that they assist or care for.
One of the issues we are working to change is health benefits for direct-care workers. That’s why I’m here to tell you my story.
About seven years ago my husband found out he was diabetic. He works for a small construction company that offered no insurance benefits at that time and our incomes did not amount to enough that we could afford to buy coverage on our own, so we continued to be without.
Then about four years ago my husband had a heart attack and ended up having to have a stent put in an artery to his heart. The subsequent hospital bills amounted to $33,000. We struggled to find a way to pay this debt, but what made it even more difficult was the fact that my husband now needed to take more medications also, which all told amounted to about $300 a month.
We ended up filing bankruptcy. After this happened, I decided that I needed to take out some major medical coverage through my employer to cover me and my husband. I would have to pay over $400 per month for a plan that would not even cover him for the first year because of his pre-existing conditions. We could not afford this, so I joined the plan for just myself.
About one year later our employer tells us that they can no longer afford to carry this coverage for us, but would offer a supplemental plan that at least would cover some doctor visits and the like. I myself did not have any claims this past year, but many of my co-workers did and had a difficult time getting their bills paid. Our employer cancelled this plan at the end of the year and we have been given the choice to join a new supplemental plan, which they hope will have better coverage. We shall see, but it still does not cover our major medical needs if we have to have a serious stay in the hospital.
My whole point is, it’s unfair that my fellow direct-care workers and I should have to go through this to have good affordable health coverage for ourselves and our families, just because we like the job we do: giving good care to others who need it. We must find an answer to this problem in order to keep the good staff we have caring for those who need it, and also to make our profession more desirable for others who would like to come into doing direct care. This is a big issue because the need for good and caring staff is going to continue to increase as the “baby boomer” generation starts requiring care themselves.
Thank you for listening to my story. I hope you will join us in trying to solve this problem.
Postscript:
When my husband died I was left with over $13,000 worth of bills. I don’t know how I’ll pay those bills. I’m trying to work with the hospital here and I’m not sure how I’ll do it. I may qualify for financial assistance but I’ll still have to pay a portion of the debt.
It’s hard enough dealing with this and going from two incomes that weren’t great to one income. I’ve got a long road ahead of me, and I’m trying to hang onto my home. My youngest son still lives here and is helping me, but it’s a struggle.
My main goal since getting involved with Iowa CareGivers has been to help other direct-care staff. It’s not right that health care workers don’t have better coverage than that.
