Dozens rally for health-care reform

Published: July 16, 2009
Philadelphia Tribune
By Robert Hightower

Cameron Hurley, center, who is currently unemployed, spoke about the difficulty of
receiving necessary medical benefits at a health rally on Wednesday at the
Health Center 32, 1720 South Broad St. —
PHOTO BY ABDUL SULAYMAN/TRIBUNE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Cameron Hurley is without health care insurance. And, since he is HIV-positive, Hurley said he could not receive health care. Although a state program provides him with the medication needed to treat his condition, Hurley stated he has other ailments that require medical attention.

Hurley was just one of the roughly two dozen people who attended a rally held earlier this week to highlight the large number of Pennsylvanians who are either without or losing their health care insurance. The rally, which took place outside of the Health Care Number 2 building located at 1720 S. Broad St., was held by the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, along with the Pennsylvania Health Access Network.

Hurley, who is also unemployed, said he was never given a definitive reason for being denied insurance, but he has suspicions.

“I’m a high risk,” he said. “I’m sick.”

When Hurley was gainfully employed, working for himself, he had the means to acquire health insurance but said he still had trouble becoming insured.

“When I was working, I was making relatively OK money and could afford premium health care, but couldn’t find it,” Hurley said.

As it stands now, Hurley stated he is uncertain about his prospects of gaining health care.

“Because my insurance has lapsed, am I never going to get insurance again?” Hurley said.

According to a new report from the consumer health organization Families USA titled “The Clock is Ticking: More Americans Losing Health Coverage,” escalating health-care costs will have caused 178,520 Pennsylvanians to lose their health coverage between January 2008 and December 2010. During that same period, the number of Americans without health coverage is expected to climb by an estimated 6.9 million.

Antoinette Kraus, who is the Pennsylvania Eastern Organizer of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, said health-care reform must happen now.

“If we don’t act on health-care reform, 1,140 people will lose their health care every week between now and 2010,” she said. “We really need a strong option plan because people just can’t wait.”

Kraus added the rally was just another way to be heard.

“We want to get the word out that people are behind passing comprehensive health-care legislation this year,” she said. “It’s an issue critical to us as Americans to get the economy started again and that people suffering waiting for that.”

Jeff Panzer, who is a member of the National Physicians Alliance, said as a physician he has witnessed just how flawed the health-care system is.

“Currently we have a health-care system that is broken,” he said. “It doesn’t care about the patients in a comprehensive manner. Patients deserve better. They deserve a health-care system that cares about them under all circumstances.”