Consumers Union activist goes to Washington to push for health reform

Diane Buch from Atlanta, Georgia had a busy day in D.C. Monday, appearing with Democratic House leaders at a press conference to build support for their health-reform bill, and addressing a gathering of congressmen and women on the same subject. Buch, who recently became uninsured and has been unable to get private insurance to cover her epilepsy medication and treatments, has been a volunteer activist for Consumers Union ever since she "shared her story" with us in 2008.

"It was incredible, I was honored to have such a wonderful chance to share my story with the representatives," said Buch who has had epilepsy from the age of five. Since Buch became uninsured she has had to postpone exams, pass on trying new epilepsy treatments, and seek charity care to maintain her current health status.

"Besides not being able to drive, I had never felt like epilepsy affected my life, until I lost my insurance," said Buch. "Then I noticed that things were different for me." Without group insurance she can’t find insurance in the private market due to her preexisting condition. And finding employment in this economy without being able to drive a car is another challenge, says Buch.

"I mostly hope that the representatives there were getting it. It’s not just that people need better options—it’s that they need options, period," says Buch. "I think it was Nancy Pelosi who used the word, ‘transformational.’ I like that word. It makes you realize how important health care reform is. We can make a difference in people’s health forever and ever."

Here is the transcript of Buch’s remarks to House leaders, as posted on The Gavel blog:

"Hi, everybody. My name is Diane Buch, and I’m here today from Atlanta, Georgia. If there’s, like, trembling in my voice, this is, like, a really emotional subject for me.

There’s my husband, Joe Greear. We’re both now experiencing firsthand the failings of our dysfunctional health care system. We’re here today to show our support for his legislation and to encourage our elected leaders to make sure—make our tough decisions—make the tough decisions required to ensure that no Americans will be left without quality, affordable health care.

I have had epilepsy since I was 5 years old. It’s really important that I have access to group health insurance because otherwise it becomes a pre-existing condition. I did have coverage through Joe’s job, though when he lost his job last year, we found that due to the small size of his company, the only option I had was to continue coverage through a conversion policy. The price quoted was $2,400 a month. It was, you know, shocking.

Joe found an individual policy, but has had to raise the annual deductible from $2,500 to $5,000 just recently just to afford the rising premiums. After being denied coverage by three companies, I became uninsured on May 1, 2008. Since then, I’ve had to postpone some of my annual exams and opt against trying new and potentially more effective epilepsy medication, and also seek charity care from others to just maintain my current health status.

I have to say my medication was $900 a month, which—well, that’s another shocking fact. But anyway, the health care—this health care reform bill will help us by getting rid of exclusions based on pre-existing conditions. It will set up an exchange where we can easily shop and compare plans and setting standard benefit options to plug holes in coverage that could leave us paying tens of thousands of dollars if we get sick.

This bill gives us a reliable option for coverage in the form of a public plan for health insurance companies—if private health insurance companies fail to meet our needs as they have so far. Joe and I are average Americans. We have worked hard all our lives, and never thought that we would end up in this situation.

We hope that you will do everything that you can to protect people like us and all Americans from the stress and the trauma of losing their health care."

—Kevin McCarthy, associate editor