Mom's Insurance Benefits Canceled

Mom has a long-term care policy with New York Life. Her late husband and Mom both had policies and were religious about paying premiums for many years. Her husband died in 2002 without any claims.

Mom turns 75 on September 11, 2007.

Last year, Mom's health was failing fast and she was in and out of hospitals and nursing homes. Her confusion was pronounced and she was unable to remember to take medicine for serious diseases.
Her home was too much organization for her to maintain. She sometimes left the stove burner on. Her diet was mostly take-out and baked goods.
New York Life sent their representatives out to assess Mom.
Sadly, but not suprisingly, she finally qualified for benefits.

<- Mom and I, October '06, outside her house


In March of 2007, thinking she was guaranteed of benefits for a lifetime once she qualified, she gave up her rights of survivorship to her house and gave most of it's contents to relatives. She moved into a small-but-nice, two room apartment in a new assisted living/nursing facility a few miles away.
She adjusted to life in the nursing residence and got three nutritious meals a day, nursing care for her diabetes four times a day, regular doses of her heart and blood pressure medicine, housekeeping, laundry, and new friends.
For that, she pays around $800 a month. Her insurance policy provided the rest.
She's tried to regain some independence and is proud of doing that. But she is unable to maintain any regime. She cannot drive nor cook.
She had resisted most attempts at help before. Now with the assistance she receives, her health can be a priority, and she takes better care of herself.




Mom, May '07, in her new apartment




Monday, August 27, she received a letter from New York Life. Someone, but not her doctor nor the staff at the home, has decided Mom doesn't need the benefit anymore and New York Life is terminating her benefits. They still want her to pay premiums though.

She is appealing to New York Life, with help from those of us who know she deserves the benefit.
Good luck, Mom!

I am appealing to all good people out there, especially Americans, to support major healthcare reforms to prevent insurance companies from making a profit off the weak, then hanging them out to dry.
I am appealing to Americans to consider what the right thing to do is and truly consider if how much money you make should have bearing on whether you're sick or well.

Government Sponsored Health Care

Things that would be better if the US Government truly cared about US citizens and not just big business:

Healthier citizens with a longer life expectancy

Lower rate of serious diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer

Quality of care not based on your bank account or lack thereof

Less litigation in our court systems for health care recovery costs. Most bankruptcies of private citizens would not exist.

More disposable income for everyone

No "benefits" or charity money going to healthcare! It could be used for other important causes.

Denial of care would be obsolete. Health care decisions would be made by your doctor, not some unkonwn entity sitting 1000 miles away in a profit-based corporate office.

Propoganda efforts opposing universal healthcare could be stopped and that energy put into something useful. It would be one less thing our government would lie about.

Senior citizens and poor people wouldn't have to choose between buying food and necessities or buying medicine.

I could continue to live in the US and not worry about surviving if I get sick.

DON'T BE A GOVERNMENT FOOL!!

SUPPORT MAJOR HEALTH CARE REFORMS FOR US CITIZENS!!!!