Stevenson and his wife are in their 50s. He has worked in sales most of his life and is currently with a company that does not offer health insurance. For years the couple was insured through his wife’s job at a local school district. But since that job was eliminated the Stevensons been unable to find or afford any type of coverage.
As Jeff describes it, “We couldn’t afford the $1,400/month for Cobra, so we have been on our own without insurance for the last two years. We can’t get insurance from any of the private insurances companies because my wife and I both have pre-existing conditions.”
Stevenson doesn’t want to argue about health care. He would like to hear some concrete ideas about how to get help.
Among the people he contacted was Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl. What he received in response was a canned e-mail outlining Kyl’s opposition to current Democratic party proposals for health care reform.
“I’m not trying to say who is right and who is wrong,” Stevenson said. “But we need more than politicians pointing fingers at one another.”
Among the things that Kyl wrote to Jeff was, “I believe in the right of every American to choose the doctor, hospital and insurance plan of his or her choice.” The senator added that he didn’t want a government “bureaucrat” making health care decisions.
“That’s fine,” Stevenson said. “But I don’t have the choice he’s talking about. I can’t pick an insurance plan. They reject me. And instead of a government bureaucrat I’m at the mercy of an insurance company bureaucrat.”
I sent a note to Kyl’s office about Stevenson’s correspondence but haven’t heard back. Then again, there isn’t a politician in office who could offer someone like Stevenson a practical solution.
Montini (the article author) and Stevenson shouldn’t expect a response from Senator Kyl. People like Jeff Stevenson and his wife are invisible to the likes of a corporate mouthpiece (prior to his stint in Congress and successive senatorial terms, he enjoyed a lucrative career as corporate lawyer and lobbyist).
Citizens seeking justice won’t get the ear of Senator Kyl — not unless you’re for banning internet gambling, quashing freedom of information, strengthening the Patriot Act, railing against illegal immigrants or doing the bidding of secretive far right wing religious fundamentalists.
It is galling to no end to witness Senator Kyl reiterate his steadfast oppostion to a government run health care plan when he’s been on one himself for the past two decades.
