LOCAL RESIDENTS LOBBY CONGRESS FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM

June 15, 2009

Families Face Increasing Problems with Medical Costs

[Dayton, Ohio] – Pete Scalia, an arthritis advocate from Dayton, Ohio and Brenda Williams, from Middletown, Ohio will be on Capitol Hill as part of the Arthritis Foundation's Health Care Reform event on June 10.  Both will meet with members of Congress, including Ohio Representative John Boehner, to tell them about their personal challenges accessing affordable health care and managing medical debt.

American families – both insured and uninsured – are struggling with rising health care costs, and as the economy declines, the number of uninsured is expected to rise.  Both Williams and Scalia have rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of the joints.  It can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function and disability.  Rheumatoid arthritis affects 1.3 million adults in the U.S. and the cause is unknown.

Brenda Williams faced an uphill battle when she was terminated from her job due to health and medical reasons related to arthritis and it left her without health insurance for three years.  Although currently employed with health coverage, she still finds it difficult to afford the medications.  “I have to make a conscious decision each month either to buy food and necessities or to get my prescriptions,” said Williams.

Pete Scalia faces similar economic challenges paying for treatment.  He currently has health insurance but covering the cost of co-pays each month along with bi-monthly lab work not covered by his provider is draining.  He does whatever it takes to make the payments each month because “…I know how miserable I am without my medications,” said Scalia.

“Arthritis is the nation’s most common cause of disability, though many people are not aware that it is a very serious, painful and life-altering disease,” said Tracy Jodrey, Arthritis Foundation spokesperson. “The burden of medical debt falls excessively on patients with chronic diseases, and studies show that out-of-pocket costs are rising faster for arthritis than for many other chronic conditions.”

Indeed, unwieldy medical bills contributed to 62 percent of all bankruptcies in 2007, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Medicine, and to half of all home foreclosures as revealed in a similar 2008 Harvard study.

In 2007, 28 percent of working-age adults with chronic conditions such as arthritis reported that their families had trouble paying medical bills.  Of those, one in four went without needed care, half delayed needed care, and 56 percent failed to get prescription medications, because of cost concerns. These unmet needs put people with arthritis at great risk for complications and permanent disability.

“In our nation, the costs for individual health insurance premiums have risen nearly eight times faster than average incomes. With 45 million uninsured citizens, it is now more important than ever to find ways to make health care affordable and ensure greater access to care for all,” Jodrey said.

The Arthritis Foundation proposes the following principles be included in any health care reform legislation:

For more information about the Arthritis Foundation’s position on health care reform and to learn what you can do to help, call 1-800-383-6843 or visit www.arthritis.org.

About the Arthritis Foundation

The Arthritis Foundation is the leading health organization addressing the needs of some 46 million Americans living with arthritis, the nation's most common cause of disability. Founded in 1948, with headquarters in Atlanta, the Arthritis Foundation has multiple service points located throughout the country and offers programs that can decrease the pain and disability associated with arthritis.

The Arthritis Foundation is the largest private, not-for-profit contributor to arthritis research in the world, funding more than $400 million in research grants since 1948. The foundation helps individuals take control of arthritis by providing public health education; pursuing public policy and legislation; and conducting evidence-based programs to improve the quality of life for those living with arthritis. Information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-283-7800 or www.arthritis.org.