Young, Employed, and Uninsured

By Doug MacPherson on Wednesday, November 19, 2003.

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The health care plans of the democratic presidential candidates share many similar goals, but one area where they differ is in their coverage of young adults. Retired General Wesley Clark’s plan, for example, includes people as old as 22. Governor Howard Dean’s plan extends to people who are 25 years old.

In the final installment of our series, “Profiles in Health Care”, New Hampshire Public Radio’s Doug MacPherson met with a young woman whose employer offers health insurance – at a price she’s not willing to pay.

THERE ARE TWO LAKES IN MEREDITH – THE ONE EVERYONE’S HEARD OF, WINNIPESAUKEE – AND THE SMALLER, QUIETER LAKE MANY LOCALS PREFER, LAKE WAUKEWAN. ON A QUIET STREET BORDERING WAUKEWAN’S EDGE IS THE HOME OF 25-YEAR-OLD SARAH MAHEUX AND HER THREE-YEAR OLD SON, DEVIN. DEVIN HAS HEALTH INSURANCE THROUGH THE STATE’S HEALTHY KIDS PROGRAM. SARAH HAS NO HEALTH INSURANCE.

SARAH IS PURSUING AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE AT NEW HAMPSHIRE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE. SHE WORKS FULL-TIME AS A BOOKKEEPER AT MCDONALD’S. IT’S A JOB SHE SAYS SHE “FELL INTO.”

TAPE SARAH 034 my friend was doing the job, and then she trained me to do it, /// she actually found another job, and so I got the job. :08

THE JOB OFFERS HEALTH INSURANCE – BUT NOT FOR FREE. THE EMPLOYEE “SHARE” AS ITS KNOWN, IS 22-DOLLARS A WEEK. SARAH CHOOSES TO GO WITHOUT.

TAPE SARAH 411 I think it’s just cause I don’t want to spend the money. Really, when it comes down to it. 22 dollars a week – I can do a lot of things with 22-dollars a week.
:08

SARAH’S BIGGEST EXPENSE IS DAY-CARE, WHERE DEVIN SPENDS
10-HOURS A DAY. HER FAMILY HELPS HER WITH THE RENT ON HER MOBILE HOME. TUITION IS COVERED BY STUDENT LOANS. SARAH PAYS UTILITIES AND GROCERIES, BUT HER SECOND BIGGEST EXPENSE, AFTER DAY-CARE, IS THE LOAN ON HER CHEVY BLAZER – A TWO THOUSAND MODEL SHE BOUGHT USED. THAT COSTS HER 300-DOLLARS A MONTH.

ALTHOUGH SARAH HAS GONE WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE FOR YEARS, SHE THINKS OF IT AS A “TEMPORARY” SITUATION.

TAPE SARAH 366 I think it’s okay for now -- I keep saying that -- because I’m not sick. But if something should ever happen to me I don’t have insurance so I think about, how am I going to pay for this? Or like, when I am sick, I put it off and put if off until I’m really sick so that, I’m not going to the doctors and spending the money for nothing. :21

WHEN SHE’S REALLY SICK, SARAH GOES TO THE WALK-IN CLINIC AT LAKES REGION GENERAL HOSPITAL.

TAPE SARAH 322 the last time I had streppe throat and I had a severe sinus infection.
DOUG - AT THE SAME TIME? At the same time. I was really sick. :10

THAT EPISODE COST ABOUT 130-DOLLARS -- LESS THAN WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE PAID FOR TWO MONTHS OF HEALTH INSURANCE. SO LONG AS SARAH’S HEALTH PROBLEMS DON’T GET ANY WORSE THAN THAT, SHE COMES OUT AHEAD OF THE GAME.
SARAH SAYS IF SHE HAD HEALTH INSURANCE, SHE WOULD SEE A DOCTOR MORE OFTEN.

TAPE SARAH 307 I probably, like, I should have a good physical. I haven’t had one in awhile. Just things like that taken care of. I might have asthma. I mean I was diagnosed with it and it’s never really bothered me but every once in awhile I get this nagging cough. So I might be more apt to go get some medication, you know, an inhaler. :19

SOMETIMES SARAH GETS A LITTLE BIT OF FREE MEDICAL ATTENTION WHEN SHE TAKES DEVIN TO HIS MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS. DEVIN SEES DOCTOR RICHARD O’BRIEN AT BELMONT FAMILY HEALTH CARE. SARAH THINKS OF DOCTOR O’BRIEN AS HER PRIMARY PHYSICIAN, TOO. DEVIN HAS BEEN INSURED SINCE BEFORE HIS BIRTH BY NEW HAMPSHIRE HEALTHY KIDS – THE STATE MEDICARE PROGRAM. A GOOD THING, TOO. DEVIN SUFFERS FROM ALLERGIES AND ASTHMA, AND REQUIRES FREQUENT CHECK-UPS. HEALTHY KIDS PAYS FOR THOSE, AND FOR HIS MEDICATION.
SARAH ADMITS SHE HASN’T THOUGHT VERY MUCH ABOUT WHY HEALTH CARE IS SO EXPENSIVE.

TAPE SARAH 444 I think the insurance companies have a lot to do with it. I don’t know – I assume that they set prices. And I don’t think the government does much to help either. :10

WITH-IN TWO YEARS SARAH HOPES TO GRADUATE WITH A DEGREE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, THEN FIND A JOB WITH GOOD BENEFITS.
MEANWHILE, SHE CONTINUES TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON HER TRUCK – AND GO WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE. WHEN SHE THINKS ABOUT NOT HAVING HEALTH INSURANCE, SARAH SAYS SHE PREFERS TO TRY TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE.

TAPE SARAH 467 I do fear getting really sick, and you just don’t know what’s going to happen to you. You don’t know. It’s always in the back of my mind, especially if I’m coming down with a cold, or it’s just like – what if there’s something really wrong with me. And then it turns out to be a cold and everything’s okay and I don’t have to think about it for awhile till the next time I get sick. But you just, you never know. ///480 it’s kind of nagging, what are you going to do? :26

JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT HAVE HEALTH CARE PROPOSALS THAT WOULD HELP SARAH.
SHE DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT THEM.

WHAT SHE KNOWS ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SHE LEARNS FROM HER FRIENDS AT WORK. SARAH PLANS TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY, BUT SHE HASN’T THOUGHT YET ABOUT WHOM SHE’LL VOTE FOR.
FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I’M DOUG MACPHERSON.