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Harry Rodda (Cape Coral, FL)

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It's About Social Responsibility, Not Socialism

My Letter to Bill

By Harry Rodda - Aug 14th, 2009 at 9:05 am EDT

As asked, I paid a visit to my Senator. He is Bill Nelson, Democrat and long time Senator from Florida. Of course, I never expected to see him, but I did want him to "see" me ... in the form of a letter I hand delivered to his office in Fort Myers. I was cheerfully greeted by a staffer, Chris, to whom I introduced myself, and to whom I gave the letter. And I told him, I am a 66 year old Republican who is here to support our President's vision of healthcare reform.

Chris smiled. Actually, he smiled the whole time. But he said nothing ... other than thanks ... and I could tell that he really didn;t want to get into any dialog about helathcare, and that if he did, what I would hear is whatever "company" line he'd been programed to say ... ergo nothing. But I really hadn't expected anything more. If there is anything a politician hates, it is having to address a "Hot Potato" issue with direct answers. I know. I've been there. Aides hate it even more. But I got what I was after, and that was leaving my thoughts with the Senator, knowing that in some fashion he will see them. I leave them here with you as well.

Dear Senator:

Sometime ago, I sent you a letter (by e-mail) that I asked be distributed to your congressional counterparts. It expressed my support for healthcare reform, and moreover my outrage at any attempt to avoid an equitable proposal in this matter. I wanted to caution Congress that the vast majority of people in this country want and expect universal coverage for all. I am including that letter with this (enclosed).

Let me reintroduce myself:

I am a 66 year old, white Republican. I have held elected office (B of CC- Lee County – ’78 to ’82) and throughout the years, have served on various appointed boards. Your early career overlaps mine. We have met several times, and we share a common friendship with the ****** family.

I am also a widow … twice. Both wives died from cancer. The first … Karen … died in 1994 at age 44 after a ten year battle with melanoma. The second … Pat … died in 2005 after a nine year battle with Breast Cancer.

Combined, I was a caregiver for over 20 years. In the course of that, I had dealings with Aetna, Humana, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, United Healthcare, and Medicare. I can tell you unequivocally, at one time or another I had problems with all of them.

- 1994, Aetna was trying to get the Oncologist to discharge Karen from the hospital the day she actually died.
- In 1996, Humana initially denied Pat’s claim for her first surgery … the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, the hospital … all for different reasons; all false; all corrected by one phone call from me; but devastating to her. She had just been diagnosed and treated for a life threatening disease. Imagine dealing with that and a claim denial!
- In 1998, Pat went on SS disability, and as such qualified for Medicare or a alternative plan. We chose a plan offered by BC&BS that included prescriptions, thereby waving Medicare with a supplement. Within two years, BC&BS had discontinued that plan, forcing us back to Medicare and thus into coverage with no prescription benefit.
- We would up with United as a supplement who at various points denied certain claims that were ultimately paid, but not without a lot of effort by me on my wife’s behalf. Thankfully I knew my way around because most people wouldn’t.

In 1989 Karen had major surgery (radical lymphectomies, both sides. At that time, we were without insurance because she had changed jobs, her new job had no group and no one would take her because of her pre-existing condition. We wound up $89,000 in debt. We ultimately lost our home.

Throughout my 20 years of care-giving, no company has been without sin. Even the ’89 situation; we should have been able to take her prior coverage with us, not be faced with a ridiculous “COBRA” package that only a few can afford.. We couldn’t.

Senator, this only scratches the surface of the personal stories I can share. But the bottom line is something has to be done … something that is fair and equitable and available to ALL Americans, not just a privileged few.

Each day, I drive on roads as needed, not according to my ability to pay. I receive police protection as needed, not according to my ability to pay. I have military defense as needed, not according to my ability to pay. How can it be that healthcare is only available to me if I or an employer on my behalf pays specifically for me; that even then is only available to me on a selective basis … and maybe not at all?

With all due respect, let me remind you and your colleagues, the Preamble of the Constitution says that its purpose is to form a more perfect union, and that to do that, we must do the following things.

establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity

Senator, what could be more in the general welfare than quality healthcare for all? Who would respect a nation that didn’t believe it to be so? Please support our President in his efforts to rectify this wrong. Most Sincerely,

Harry Rodda

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