In the past three years, Teresa Reese has seen her health decline and her health insurance become null and void.
After her twin daughters turned 18, Mrs. Reese said, she no longer qualified for Medicaid. Since then, she has suffered from fibroid tumors she fears will soon become cancerous. Like 26,533 other Aiken County residents, she is uninsured, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey released Tuesday.
The 2008 data stated that the percentage of those with health insurance in Richmond and Aiken counties is lower than the national rate of 84.6 percent. In Aiken County, 83 percent of residents have either private or public-funded health insurance. In Richmond County, 82 percent have coverage. Columbia County has 87 percent insured, according to the survey. Local health care providers and patients said that the number of uninsured will continue to grow and that assistance on the local and national level is the only cure for the ailing health care system.
Mrs. Reese, 47, said she knows little about health care reform but would like to have some form of health insurance to help pay for the $1,200 procedure to remove her tumors.
"I would qualify for it (Medicaid) if I found out these tumors were cancerous, but I don't want coverage that bad," she said. "I just sit at home with AsperCreme and heating pads on my stomach. It's so painful."
Mrs. Reese, of Belvedere, visited the Margaret J. Weston Community Health Center in Clearwater to get pain treatment.
Mrs. Reese is also caring full time for her husband, who has a "chronic disease," she said.
"I just wish there was help for people who need health insurance but can't afford it," she said.
Carolyn Emanuel-McClain, the interim CEO of Margaret J. Weston, said some of the patients who visit the clinic can afford insurance but can't get it because of prior health problems. There are some resources for those who are uninsured, but funds are limited.
"Those funds have been fixed for years, but more and more people are coming to our doors without health insurance," she said.
About 60 percent of the patients at the Clearwater clinic don't have insurance and either cannot afford it or do not qualify for government health insurance, Mrs. Emanuel-McClain said. She said her staff and the clinic's reserve fund have been stretched thin with close to 18,000 visits this year.
Even though her office provides affordable health care, many patients hold off on making appointments.
"It's a situation where they have to be seen today," she said.
Natasha Ricard, of Stapleton, Ga., said she makes the 45-minute drive to Christ Community Health Services in Augusta for her annual visits. She and her husband own a trucking company and have not been able to find affordable health insurance.
"I have three children who are all covered by PeachCare," she said Tuesday while waiting for her examination. "I have not had health insurance for 10 years, and health care is not readily available for me. I'm not poor. I pay taxes, but I'm still affected by this."
Grant Scarborough, an internist and co-founder of the clinic, said 75 percent of his patients are uninsured and a small percentage need services the clinic can't provide.
"There's only a couple of clinics that do what we do, and that's not nearly enough," he said. "When we have people with cancer or something more serious, we have to find a sub-specialist to handle that. A lot of the hospitals turn them away."
Dr. Scarborough and co-founder Dr. Robert Campbell have served close to 8,000 patients since the clinic opened in 2007, he said. Some specialists have donated their services to the small percentage of patients who need surgery or other specialist care, he said. Though health care is an issue, he does not know whether Congress can help.
"I don't think there's a good answer out there," he said. "I think if we have more places like this and more people willing to donate their time, money and skills, we can take the burden off the taxpayers."
Mrs. Emanuel-McClain, who has worked in community health care for 25 years, said reform is a must. Many of her employees pay half their paychecks into state insurance plans, she said. Congress should act soon to help ease the burden on taxpayers and enhance health care services for citizens, she said.
Health care is not a partisan issue, Mrs. Emanuel-McClain said. "It affects everyone. I hope Congress will look at it as such. They need to bite the bullet and do what needs to be done."
Reach Stephanie Toone at (706) 823-3215 or stephanie.toone@augustachronicle.com.
HEALTH CARE BY THE NUMBERS
Estimated percent of populations that have health insurance coverage, either private or public (Medicare, Medicaid or any kind of government assistance plan for those with low incomes or a disability, or the VA, including those who have ever used or enrolled for VA health care).
COVERAGE BY LOCATION
| LOCATION | PERCENT INSURED | NO. INSURED | NO. UNINSURED |
| Richmond County | 82% | 152,303 | 34,229 |
| Columbia County | 87% | 94,545 | 13,726 |
| Aiken County | 83% | 125,494 | 26,534 |
| Georgia | 82% | 7.8 million | 1.7 million |
| South Carolina | 84.2% | 3.7 million | 707,000 |
| U.S. | 84.6% | 255 million | 46 million |
COVERAGE BY AGE GROUP
| RICHMOND COUNTY | YOUNGER THAN 65 | 65 AND OLDER |
| Total estimate | 164,987 | 21,545 |
| With health insurance | 130,999 | 21,304 |
| Without health insurance | 33,988 | 241 |
| COLUMBIA COUNTY | ||
| Total estimate | 97,901 | 10,370 |
| With health insurance | 84,175 | 10,370 |
| Without health insurance | 13,726 | |
| AIKEN COUNTY | ||
| Total estimate | 129,669 | 22,359 |
| With health insurance | 103,791 | 21,703 |
| Without health insurance | 25,878 | 656 |
Note: The American Community Survey, which surveyed communities with populations of 65,000 or more, excludes people who listed their employment with the armed forces, including soldiers stationed at Fort Gordon, or who were living in military quarters.
Source: 2008 American Community Survey
Comments
Again, why is it the government's job to provide "health care" for everyone on American soil? What is needed is to get government out of health care so the free market forces can come into play again. With government interference forcing the price of health care up, affording it is getting more and more difficult for everyone. Less help (interference) would mean more competition and less cost.
Did Medicare and Medicaid count in these statistics for the people listed as insured? If these two insurance plans were a part of the numbers listed as insured, then the percentaga/number of people listed as uninsured would actually be more.
How many of these morons have an iPhone, iPod, xBox, PS3, rims, tattoos, designer clothes, drink themselves silly, snort themselves stupid?? Half the people I know who are around my age (26) don't have health insurance, but they have plenty of expensive toys! You need a momma?? fine, but don't make me pay for your stupidity, ARGH.
Don't be talking nasty about assuming all people are stupid and have all expensive toys... There are some good people who are doing the best they can and all of sudden suffer health crisis.. Like above one is qualified for health insurance but they turned them down due to health history. They are working and able, but can't get it. We need to do something about those people.. seriously.
So are you saying that for 18 years this woman and her family have been provided FREE healthcare by the taxpayers??? Why in the he** do we need to change the system??Seems like non-producers are the ones getting the free care anyway.
Alternative care is a great answer to this problem. Find those doing NAET. Teach yourself EFT ( you can learn for free). Learn about divine healing. Forget the government; it is not your source of health. Read Dr. Williams newsletter named 'Alternatives'. Get drmercola's free emails. All the answers are provided and almost free so there is nothing to complain about. The best answers are always simple and free and God loves us and has provided them. Give away what you need and that includes praying for the sick when you are sick. We reap as we sow. Plant good seed and pray for a crop failure over the bad ones you have sown. Don't get started with drugs or someday you will carry around a bag full with no idea how one reacts to the other. If they advertise it on TV don't put it in your body. Go to drtenpenny.com and get the truth about flu shots. Get the hand santizers out of your house, school and church as they are creating super germs. With a little research and a few actions you can become so healthy you will be amazed.
I am all for health care reform, but NOT the socialized medicine the DIMs/BimbObama propose. For those who are unable to work, I say give help, but need a doctor's statement they are either physically or mentally unable to hold a job. I also believe that the government should step in and force the insurance companies to offerinsurance across state lines just like auto insurance. Competition always drives down prices. I also believe that insrance companies should be forced to insure those with pre-existing conditions (who would pay higher premiums as do bad drivers with auto insurance), and also not allow dropping those who become sick if their premiums are paid up. These are the reforms we need-not the Hr 3200 or Baucus monstrosities that allows gov't to intrude into doctor-patient relations/health care that the DIMs/BimbObama are tryig to force down our throats and make th middle class pay for..
I have to agree with most on here today. I have noticed that most people who say "I don't have health insurance" have most of the expensive phones, shoes, and clothing of all the patients in the waiting room. And I don't want to hear "not all", I didn't say "all" I said that the majority of most do.
I'm a bit confused about this article. Mrs. Reese states she was on Medicaid until her twin daughters turned 18...but she says she is a full time caretaker for her husband who has a cronic disease...so who is the bread winner in this family. If she's not working, and I'm assuming her husband isn't working, then wouldn't they be considered low income/poor and be qualified for Medicaid?
If you are healthy and able to work and do not have children under 18, you are not able to get Medicaid. You are supposed to get a job and buy it.
corgi, I understand if you are able to work you are suppose to get a job and buy it....according to the article, this woman takes care of a sick husband with a cronic disease so she may not be able to work.
No, she is CHOOSING not to work. There is a difference. That's like saying my husband should quit his job to stay home and take care of me. She has at least 2 daughters, why aren't they taking care of the father while she works?
We'll I guess I speculated that the girls were 18 when she lost her Medicaid coverage and the article said for the past 3 years her health has decline and figured that would make the girls about 21 and probably out on their own by now. I don't know this lady's situation, whether she can, can't, or don't want to, work, whether her children are still at home or on their own. So you see I don't know if she is CHOOSING not to work. I'm sure if you had a cronic disease and was unable to take care of yourself, I would guess that your husband might stay home to take care of you too, but then maybe you have children that would stay home all day taking care of mom. I thought kids were suppose to grow up and start living their own lives. (Don't take that wrong, I believe they should help, but I wouldn't want to saddle my kids with taking care of me all day).
InChristLove for once I agree with you.
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