Cross-posted at Blue Indiana.
In 1999, my best friend and sometimes roommate, Annette, was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Annette was in her mid to late 20’s. At that time in her life, Annette was a social worker and was employed by a domestic violence shelter. As part of her benefits package, she had health insurance. Annette was able to receive treatment for her cancer, fought hard and was able to defeat the melanoma. She was declared to be in remission.
Later, Annette decided she wanted to change careers. Domestic violence work, and social work in general, is very emotionally difficult and there is a high “burn out” rate in the field. Besides fighting her own cancer, Annette had spent years being a “front-line liberation worker”, as she called herself, and she was ready to move on to other things.
Annette had also been a writer, poet, artist and performer. She decided she wanted to spend more time focusing on those skills because she found art to be invigorating as opposed to the constant struggle and drain on her energy that she was experiencing working with domestic violence survivors. Since art doesn’t always pay well, if it pays at all, she decided to become a massage therapist. This allowed her to feel like she was still helping people and it gave her the independence and flexibility she needed to be able to spend time pursuing her writing and art.
Because she was a cancer survivor and needed regular check ups, Annette was concerned about being without insurance. She did some research and discovered she could be on C.O.B.R.A. for 18 months. This allowed Annette to be covered by health insurance while she went back to school to receive her massage therapy certification. Annette still had to pay $400 to $500 a month for this benefit. Annette planned on purchasing her own insurance once C.O.B.R.A. ran out.
Annette did receive her certification and pursued her goals as an artist and massage therapist. As a biased friend, I will say that she was very good at both, just as she was when she was advocating for survivors of domestic violence.
When the end of her 18 months of C.O.B.R.A. coverage came near, Annette began researching and applying for health insurance. While doing so, she discovered that she was refused because of her pre-existing condition of being a cancer survivor. She applied for assitance programs, but was determined to earn too much money. The only option available to her was a high risk insurance pool that would cost her $2000 a month. Annette became one of the uninsured.
In late 2004, Annette began experiencing symptoms of an unknown illness. She had moved to California, at this point, while I still lived in Michigan. Annette had learned to make her health a priority and was one of the most health conscious people I have ever known personally. Despite this fact, Annette repeatedly discounted her symptoms and put off going to the doctor because she could not afford to and did not have insurance. Finally, in December of 2004, Annette’s partner and I both urged her to go to a doctor when her stomach inexplicably swelled up.
Every phone conversation I received from Annette after that point, her diagnosis became more clear and more devastating. Annette’s melanoma had returned and had spread to many of her internal organs.
I traveled to California in February of 2005 to provide moral and physical support to Annette. She had been estranged from her family because she was not straight and, though she had made new friends when she moved to California, I wanted to be there to provide comfort. I also feared the worst and wanted to spend time with my friend.
The experience was dreadful. I helped Annette apply for Medi-Cal. The doctors refused to treat her with any chemo or any experimental treatments because she was uninsured. We pleaded to the board of the hospital to allow her to be treated, despite not having insurance. They refused. Ultimately, Annette was approved for Medi-Cal only weeks before she died in March of 2005 at the age of 33. She never received a minute of treatment other than for pain and the doctors never came clean to her to tell her she was dying. It was only the nurses and our own common sense that finally led us to this conclusion.
It is my belief that, if Annette had insurance, she would have sought medical attention sooner and may have lived or, at least, lived longer. There’s no way of knowing that for sure, of course, but Annette was willing to fight for her life. I just wish she would have been allowed to.
Here’s a link to a song that a mutual friend wrote about Annette’s death. It’s free for download.
I miss you, Annette. I am fighting for health care reform, at least partially, on your behalf.