The Speech

Today Kyla brings her voice to the State Capitol as she continues to advocate for health care for her child and millions more.  Below is a copy of her speech, cross posted from her blog. Wish her well as she kicks some bureaucratic ass on the Hill. We are all rooting for you, sister.  Bring on that health insurance!

Hello, my name is Kyla [LastName] and on March 1st, 2008, my children became part of the 1.5 million uninsured Texas children. My daughter had been covered by the [Previous Insurance] Plan which closed its program at the end of February. When we discovered we would have to find alternate coverage, I optimistically assumed that HIPAA would protect her and we could simply move to another individual insurance plan. When we actually applied for this coverage, I discovered that wasn't the case.

You see, KayTar is not a typical, healthy three year old. She has undiagnosed neurological attacks that are incapacitating and can last for up to 11 hours. She is deaf in one ear and has to have bi-annual hearing tests to be sure her hearing hasn't further deteriorated. In her short life, she has had two MRIs, two CT scans, two lumbar punctures, and three EEGs. Before losing her insurance coverage, she was in developmental, occupational, physical, and speech therapies because of her developmental delays. She sees a geneticist, neurologist, feeding disorders specialist, gastroenterologist, ophthalmologist, audiologist, otolaryngologist, her regular pediatrician, and was due to see an orthopedist prior to losing her insurance coverage. She has been in the ER six times for various issues. She has been hospitalized twice. She is on daily medications for chronic constipation and asthma.

Although she is thriving in spite of it all, she is not the picture of a normal, healthy child, and she is too much of a risk for the insurance companies to accept. We were denied coverage. After being denied, we were referred to the High Risk Pool, which was created for children like KayTar, however, we are not eligible for this program because my husband's employer offers group coverage. Unfortunately for us, the group coverage is not an option either.

My husband's group plan would cost us 30% of our monthly income and we do not have 30% of our income to spare. On top of that, the insurance they offer is not comprehensive. None of KayTar's therapies are covered; none of her genetic appointments or tests, and many of the things that are covered have stringent limitations. KayTar's therapies alone cost over $400 per week. A single genetic blood test can cost well over $3,000. It does not make sense to pay over $900 per month on an insurance plan that will not cover necessary testing and treatment. Half of all working men and women do not have health insurance through their employer at all and many, like mine, cannot afford the coverage their employers offer.

Because of this, KayTar has been without vital therapies and specialized medical care for two months. In that short amount of time, I’ve had to cancel her hearing test. I’ve had to cancel a crucial appointment with her feeding disorder specialist. A few months ago her feeding situation had declined so much so that we were beginning to discuss the possibility of a feeding tube, and now I cannot even take her in to see the specialist who can help her overcome these obstacles. If things were to decline further, we have no safety net. There are no treatments or therapeutic options for her without health insurance. We can’t even afford for her to be seen in the feeding clinic without insurance coverage. Due to recent changes in her neurological episodes, the pediatrician recommended another MRI, but that will also have to wait until we find a solution to our health care crisis. Since losing our insurance coverage just two short months ago, my daughter already lacks her necessary medical care, because we do not have access to affordable, comprehensive coverage. Can you imagine what it is like to choose between your financial responsibilities and your child’s health?

My husband has worked as a network administrator for the same banking system for over five years. He is a reliable employee; I can count the number of sick days he's taken on one hand. We pay our bills on time and take care of our taxes. We are financially responsible and more than willing to pay for our children's health coverage, this has never been the issue. The problem is that we don't have the option to do so. The only plan that will accept my daughter and offer her adequate coverage is the state CHIP plan.

Unfortunately we are $260 dollars over the monthly income limit set for CHIP. Because we have no other viable options, my husband has requested a pay cut in that amount, so that our children can qualify for proper health coverage. Not only will this decrease our monthly income, it will also cap him out at work. He will no longer be eligible for raises or positional promotions. It shouldn't be this way; my husband should not have to handicap his career to provide for his children. Families who are willing and able to pay for adequate coverage should be allowed to do so, especially when the children have a serious need for comprehensive coverage.

This can be changed and our state leaders can change it. I speak for our family and families like ours when I say we are willing and able to pay for our coverage, we just need to be given a real opportunity to do so. All children deserve access to proper health care, regardless of their health status or income. If the CHIP program could be modified so that families like ours could pay into the system on a sliding scale to cover the cost of our children's care, it would go a long way toward bridging this very large gap. There are 487,000 children in Texas who are uninsured and above the CHIP income level cut off, let's work together to lower this number. Mohandas Gandhi said "We MUST be the change we want to see in this world." Today I stand before you and ask you to be the change my child desperately needs to see in this world. Do it for her, and the thousands like her. Do it because it is the right thing to do.

Comments

[Glennia]

Kyla, I really hope that your story gets heard by the right people. It is a travesty that your family is in this situation.

[magpie]

Kyla - this is a great speech about a horrific situation. I hope some good comes of it.

[cynematic]

Kyla,
It's sheer insanity that your family--and your precious child--is denied coverage.

Thank you for speaking out to your elected representatives. I just wish Bush himself could see what his veto of the SCHIP bill means for your family--I mean, in the "smack of the reality tuna to the face" way.

I am rooting for you, as are all of us (I think it's safe to say) and if there's any way we MOMocrats can help, please let us know how.

[annie]

Kyla, I am very sorry to hear your daughter was cut from the state insurance plan. I had insurance issues when my late husband was ill. Long story but suffice to say that it took nearly 9 months and the intervention of one of my Senators to get him SSDI so he could be put on State waiting lists for Medicaid assistance. The ironic things is that I had good insurance through my employer but it didn't cover assisted care or inpatient care - which he needed due to his dementia and progressive neurological decline. I live in Canada now. Everyone who wants it has access (their is a yearly cost that is so low in comparison to what I know it costs monthly in the States that I am incredulous when I hear that some people would rather go without insurance than pay it.) I wish you success in your efforts.

[PunditMom]

Kyla, if this doesn't convince people, I don't know what will.

[Susan]

Kyla wishing you and your family the best.

This article shows quite well how the middle class takes the brunt of it in America, to rich for assistance, to poor to afford the proper care our children's needs. Proof positive why we need a Democrat in office to help lighten the burden that families like Kyla must bear!

[Andrea]

I'm hoping with every fiber of my being that they do the right thing. How awful that you're put in that position, between a paycheck and greedy insurance companies who won't assume risk even though you can pay for reasonable premiums. Reasonable being the key word.

I hope this works, and your speech? Rocks. If that doesn't change some hearts, I don't know what will.

[debbie]

Kyla, I'm so proud of you for making this speech.

[Elle]

Kyla, thanks so much for sharing your story. I live in Texas, too, and am trying to adopt a little girl with a genetic disorder that entails a high level of ongoing medical care much like your daughter's medical condition. But I am required to prove that I can provide health insurance for her, and have been told that *if* I can secure coverage for her, it will cost about $1000 a month and will not cover anything directly related to her genetic condition. So, like you, I would be faced with spending a high percentage of my income to buy insurance that doesn't cover the very things that she most needs. This conundrum has already delayed the adoption process and now seems very likely to prevent me from being able to adopt her, in which case she will spend her formative years in an institution instead of a loving home. Yet my state representatives voted against expanding funding for the SCHIPs program every time it came up and had the temerity to respond to my pleas for their yes vote with the airy statement that it would cover people who make too much money! Yet you'd have to be making far more than you or I do not to be financially devastated by a $1000 *baseline* health care plan (and that's just to cover the child, not the parent) that still leaves you financially responsible for all the medical events most likely to require care. $12,000 is more than I pay annually for my food and housing combined! How on earth our elected representatives can oppose funding such a necessary program is beyond me, and how they square their opposition with their consciences I cannot fathom. All good wishes to you and your family, Kyla. I pray that this coming election will bring new leadership that can offer relief for us both, and for all who so desperately need it.

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