House Proceeding 10-22-09 on Oct 22nd, 2009 :: 2:21:30 to 2:24:20
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2:21:30 to 2:21:50( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: families like the zimmerman family that are the backbone of america. i yield back to the gentleman from minnesota. mr. ellison: let me join the gentleman from colorado, congressman polis, who is doing such a great job in offering a few stories that people are dealing with out here today. we also want to just thank the gentlelady from the great state

2:21:30 to 2:24:20( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Keith Ellison

2:21:51 to 2:22:13( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: of illinois, jan schakowsky, is here joining us right now, and as she gets her bags straight an everything, gaming to just share one story om a family that's really, really working and pulling for real health care reform. let me say i'll leave the last names out just to protect folks. but kelly

2:22:14 to 2:22:36( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: and herusband is 55 are both retire they are retired from an after 2004 horseback riding accident, kelly was in a coma for three weeks. her insurer, united health care, refused to cover her emergency surgery. to this day kelly has no memory

2:22:37 to 2:22:58( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: david called uhc from the hospital waiting for -- in the waiting room to report the incident, but the company denied coverage saying david hadn't reported the incident. on top of that, the company told david the hospital was out of the company, the health insurance company, eventually

2:22:59 to 2:23:21( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: paid about half of kelly's medical costs which left family with about $200,000 in bills. $200,000 is a lot of money even if you already have a lot of money. but that's how much they had in bills. they were able to hold on to their house but only by selling almost everything else they

2:23:22 to 2:23:42( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: owned and declaring bankruptcy. yes, bankruptcy. kelly tried to go back to her job in the computerized drafting field, but the brain damage was too severe and she just couldn't do the work anymore. david also retired after 20 years as a communications technician, he suffered an john

2:23:43 to 2:24:03( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: the job injury to his spine, to this day they pay about $1,645 a month the bankruptcy court and hope to be out of debt one day. so that's just one story. but their story could be draumatized by the number of people who file for bankruptcy

2:24:04 to 2:24:20( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: because of medical debt. more than half of the bankruptcy filings are due to medical debt that is just crippling families. health care reform will bring that nightmare to an end and so we look eggerly towards it. i thank the gentlelady from