Listening to real-life tales of woe: Local patients, health professionals speak up for reform [New Haven Register, Conn.]

Dec. 19--NEW HAVEN -- Rosemary Marsh tried to tell her story without crying, but in the end broke down.

Marsh said she had health insurance until three years ago when her husband had a stroke "and we lost everything. If it wasn't for the Fair Haven Community Health Care Center we wouldn't have health care at all. He is doing better, but every day is a struggle," she said between tears.

Even with Medicare kicking in, Marsh said she is being asked to put out $1,000 for a new leg brace for her spouse and wait to see if she is reimbursed.

"This is America. We shouldn't be worried about these things. Especially at this point in our lives. ... It has to change, we all deserve better," Marsh said to about 70 practitioners and patients who gathered Friday morning at the Fair Haven clinic before it opened for the day.

The physicians and nurses represented clinics at Yale-New Haven Hospital, the Hospital of Saint Raphael, the Hill Community Health Care Center and the Fair Haven clinic, as well as doctors in private practice.

They came together to speak Friday as one voice to urge the U.S. Senate to adopt the health care bill before it so the legislation can move to a conference committee and a final vote.

The bill was stalled over inclusion of a public health option or a Medicare buy-in, which have been eliminated, and is now being held up over payments for abortion. There is almost universal opposition from Republicans over the cost of the program in a recession.

While stress on patients without insurance has been documented, nurse practitioner Stephanie Wilborne talked about the stress on health care workers.

She had three stories about young adults who were her patients, some former classmates at Hillhouse High School, who died young because of lack of basic medical care that eventually led to heart and kidney complications.

"It is these kinds of losses that sometimes make you want to leave the profession," Wilborne said. "It hurts that much. I just can't understand how a country that gives so much, puts a price tag on somebody's life."

Dr. Steven Wolfson, past president of the Yale-New Haven medical staff, said one fallacy is that people assume if they are happy with their current health insurance, they will be able to keep it.

"That simply isn't so. The one constant is that premiums will go up, the coverage will go down and the benefits will be reduced. ... The current system is simply not sustainable," said Wolfson.

The cardiologist said there is another reason that reforms have to be made now. "We have a moral imperative as a society to care for those who need help," he said.

Dr. Laurie Bridger, medical director at the Fair Haven clinic, said they are able to provide excellent primary care at the clinic, but need to be able to partner with specialists.

With the advent of managed care and increased economic pressures on hospitals, she said, "those resources have dried up. ... That leaves our providers hanging out to dry" with nowhere to send patients.

Bridger offered patients' stories of her own, recalling the cook at a restaurant who skimps on her medications to lessen the financial burden on family members who help her pay for them. Also, a young male patient is losing his voice because of polyps on his vocal cords, but can't afford the surgery needed to deal with it.

Mary E. O'Leary can be reached at 203-789-5731 or moleary@nhregister.com.

To see more of New Haven Register, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.nhregister.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, New Haven Register, Conn.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.