Medicare reform is a hot topic on Capitol Hill these days. Among the changes being considered to the government health program are a prescription drug benefit and increased competition with private insurers. All this month New Hampshire Public Radio is taking a closer look at the health system by talking to doctors, patients and administrators. In today’s Profile In Healthcare, NHPR’s Trish Anderton speaks with a Medicare patient who’s discovering just what the program covers, and what it doesn’t.
DORALYN HARPER'S LIVES IN A TRAILER ON A QUIET BACK STREET IN BELMONT. IT’S NEAT AND COZY INSIDE, WITH RUFFLED CURTAINS ON THE WINDOWS, AND PICTURES OF HER GRANDKIDS ON THE WALL. THE SHELVES ARE LINED WITH CHRISTMASSY FIGURINES -
GIFTS FROM FRIENDS WHO KNOW WHAT HARPER’S FAVORITE HOLIDAY IS.
22 204 about everything in my house was given to me . my knicknacks and all that stuff, I'm telling you
HARPER IS A PEOPLE PERSON. WHEN SHE RETIRED AS BELMONT'S TOWN CLERK AND TAX COLLECTOR A FEW YEARS AGO, SHE FOUND SHE MISSED BEING AT THE CENTER OF THINGS IN TOWN. SO SHE RAN FOR THE SELECTBOARD. NOW AT AGE SEVENTY SHE'S THE CHAIRWOMAN. HARPER IS USED TO FIXING OTHER PEOPLE’S PROBLEMS. BUT RECENTLY HER HEALTH HAS FORCED HER TO FOCUS ON HERSELF.
I am a person who likes to go a lot, do a lot. but you can't with this. you have to be more retiring, and that's difficult for me.
TWO YEARS AGO HARPER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A HEART ARRHYTHMIA. THEN SHE GOT A BLOOD CLOT IN HER LUNGS. SHE WOUND UP IN LAKES REGION GENERAL?? HOSPITAL FOR NEARLY TWO WEEKS.
007 00 when I got to the e.r. they said in 15 more minutes I wouldn't be here. but as I say the lor'ds not ready for me and the devil doesn't want me, so he let me come home.
SINCE THEN HARPER HAS ALSO BEEN TENTATIVELY DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE
MYELOMA, A KIND OF CANCER THAT AFFECTS THE BLOOD. ALL THOSE HEALTH
PROBLEMS HAVE MEANT A LOT OF PROCEDURES, AND A LOT OF BLOOD TESTS. MEDICARE, THE GOVERNMENT HEALTH PLAN FOR PEOPLE OVER 65, ONLY COVERS SOME OF THE COSTS. FOR INSTANCE, IT PAYS FOR DOCTOR VISITS. BUT HARPER SAYS IT DOESN’T PAY FOR HER FREQUENT BLOOD TESTS. FORTUNATELY HARPER HAS BEEN ABLE TO BUY A SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE PLAN TO FILL IN THE GAPS.
004 57 you have to have it. I don't know what I would have done without it. I would probably be on welfare today if I didn't have insurance.
PAYING FOR THE SO-CALLED MEDIGAP PLAN ISN'T EASY. HARPER DIVORCED IN MIDLIFE. SHE DIDN'T EXACTLY MAKE A FORTUNE WORKING IN TOWN GOVERNMENT. NOW SHE'S LIVING ON 976 DOLLARS A MONTH FROM SOCIAL SECURITY. THE EXTRA INSURANCE COSTS A LITTLE OVER 200 DOLLARS -MORE THAN A FIFTH OF HER INCOME.
004 141 it gets more costly every day. even I find it difficult. but I would eat something less to have my insurance because to me its soemthing I have to have.
HARPER GENERALLY HAS POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT MEDICARE. SHE HASN'T HAD ANY BUREAUCRATIC HASSLES. BECAUSE HER MEDIGAP PLAN COVERS PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MEDICARE’S MOST CONSPICUOUS SHORTCOMING. BUT SHE DOES WORRY ABOUT OTHER SENIORS WHO DON'T HAVE DRUG COVERAGE.
there's gotta be a help on people who have to have prescription drugs. that is awful. even a person of fairly good income, they can't afford that kind of money.
AS A LONGTIME PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR AND NOW A LOCAL POLITICIAN, HARPER'S NOT SURE HOW SHE'D GO ABOUT FIXING MEDICARE. SHE FAVORS SMALL GOVERNMENT, AND SHE CALLS THE IDEA OF RAISING TAXES “EVIL. BUT SHE SAYS HER POLITICAL ALLEGIANCES AREN’T SET IN STONE.
Not diehard republican. Everyone has something to offer.
HARPER THINKS MORE COMPETITION IN HEALTHCARE MIGHT BRING COSTS DOWN, BUT SHE WORRIES THAT CUTTING BACK ON REGULATION WOULD OPEN THE DOOR FOR INSURERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ELDERS. SHE ALSO SUSPECTS SOME OF HER FELLOW MEDICARE RECIPIENTS WASTE THE GOVERNMENT'S MONEY.
I feel what I've taken from them, I haven't abused a penny of it. // but I think a lot of people abuse all their insurances. they want to go for stuff they don't need.
HARPER IS AWARE THAT THE HOSPITAL LOSES MONEY ON MEDICARE PATIENTS LIKE HER. SHE SAYS SHE FEELS BAD ABOUT THAT, BUT SHE’S NOT SURE WHERE THE FAULT LIES. SINCE SHE’S BUYING EXTRA INSURANCE, SHE FEELS SHE’S PULLING HER WEIGHT. AND EVEN THOUGH SHE DISLIKES BIG GOVERNMENT, HARPER DOESN'T HAVE ANY PHILOSOPHICAL QUALMS ABOUT BEING ON A GOVERNMENT HEALTH PLAN.
20 40 I feel as though I've earned that. we all went to work, we've worked hard. no, I don't look at it as a handout.
HARPER HASN'T DECIDED YET HOW SHE'S VOTING IN THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. SHE SAYS SHE'LL TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE CANDIDATES' STATEMENTS ABOUT HEALTHCARE. BUT SHE'S DUBIOUS THAT ANYONE WILL FIX THE PROBLEMS.
14 12 there are a lot of people saying they're going to do something about medicare. but have they? will they? they've been saying it for years and they haven't done it.
POLITICIANS TRYING TO REFORM THE SYSTEM FACE A BASIC CONUNDRUM. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THEY’VE ALREADY PAID INTO MEDICARE. BUT WHAT THEY PAID ISN’T ENOUGH TO COVER THEIR NEEDS. MOST OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SPENDING, AND THAT’S A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR PEOPLE LIKE DORALYN HARPER. THEY WANT TO KNOW WHERE THAT MONEY’S GOING TO COME FROM. FOR NHPR NEWS I'M TRISH ANDERTON.
