Ohio Woman Who Wrote President of Insurance Woes Back In Hospital

[jefferson_dem]

Ohio Woman Who Wrote President of Insurance Woes Back In Hospital
March 11, 2010 7:39 AM

Natoma Canfield, the Medina, Ohio cleaning woman and cancer surivivor who could no longer afford to pay for her skyrocketing insurance premiums -- and whose letter to the president explaining her predicament President Obama read to insurance executives last week -- is back in the hospital after more than a decade being cancer-free.

"I went from feeling A-OK to really bad," Canfield told ABC News from the hospital, where she's awaiting her test results.

President Obama will be visiting nearby Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday and the White House had invited Canfield to introduce him. Canfield's sister will be traveling from Florida to fill in for her, in case she can't attend because of her health taking a turn for the worse.

Canfield said no matter the results of her tests she knows she will be facing "a huge hospital bill" since she had to drop her individual health insurance from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio after its most recent premium increase.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/03/ohio-woman-who-wrote-president-of-insurance-woes-back-in-hospital.html

"President Obama walked in today on a closed-door meeting between Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and top insurance industry executives, and read the executives a letter from an Ohio woman whose case he thought demonstrated why the industry needs more regulation in the form of a comprehensive bill," McClatchy News reported.

The full text of the letter, as well as Obama's hand-written return note, are below.

Dear President Obama:

I am 50 years old. I was diagnosed with carcinoma in-situ 16 years ago and following my divorce 12 years ago I became self-employed. After my Cobra ran out I was able to find costly, but affordable health insurance. As a responsible individual, I have struggled to maintain my individual coverage and have increased my deductible and out of pocket-limits in an attempt to control my cost and keep my health insurance.

Last year (2009) my insurance premium was increased over 25% even though I increased my deductible and out of pocket to the highest limits available. I paid out over $6075.24 in premiums, $2415.26 for medical care, $225 in co-pays and $1500 for prescriptions. I never reached my deductible of $2500 so the insurance company only paid out a total $935.32 to my providers.

I must repeat, in 2009 my insurance company received $6075.24 in premiums and paid out only $935.32!

I have just been notified that my premium for next year 2010 has been increased over 40% to $8496.24 ($708.02 per month) !!!! This is the same insurance company I have been with for over 11 cancer free years!!!

I need your Health reform bill to help me!!! I simply can no longer afford to pay for my health care costs!!

Story continues below Thanks to this incredible premium increase demanded by my insurance company, January will be my last month of insurance.

I live in the house my mother & father built in 1958 and I am so afraid of the possibility I might loose this heirloom as a result of my being forced to drop my health care insurance. The health insurance industry has not denied me insurance directly, but indirectly they have by increasing my costs. They perceive me as becoming a higher risk factor to them despite being a loyal customer. I will never be able to obtain new health insurance due to the lack of real competition.

We are talking about Anthem who apparently has no respect for your attempts to reform the health insurance industry.

Please stay focused in your reform attempts as I and many others are in desperate need of your help.

Sincerely

Natoma Canfield



http://thehill.com/images/stories/whitepapers/pdf/natoma.pdf

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

[liberal N proud]

1. I do hope she gets to meet the President

[Clio the Leo]

2. Prayers for Ms. Canfield.....

.... and prayers we can get this bill passed soon.

I cant hear her name without thinking of THIS Miss Canfield....



... from "Leave it to Beaver."