Rosemary Piazza, 70, lost her house because of medical bills. Drollene Brown, also 70, was denied health care coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Lee Auerbach said for the first time in almost 65 years, she just felt helpless.
The three women braved a rainy Gainesville afternoon and a few drive-by hecklers to rally with more than three dozen others Wednesday on University Avenue and First Street. They held signs urging Sen. Bill Nelson to fight for health care reform with a strong public option.
Passing drivers honked their horns in support as the elderly crowd lined the road with signs that read, "Big insurance paid $380 million to fight the public option," "45,000 dead annually because of no health care" and "You can't be caught dead without insurance."
The "We're Counting on You" rally was sponsored by political action group MoveOn.org. Fred Pratt, MoveOn.org spokesman, said the only way to get a public option is by reminding Nelson that 77 percent of Americans want it.
Pratt was born with spina bifida and voiced his opinions from a wheelchair. Although his medical bills are covered by Medicare and Medicaid, he chose a career in social services to help people who have no health insurance--people he considers less fortunate.
The crowd gathered as speakers told stories of injustice at the hands of private insurance companies.
Terry Grayson, who organized the rally, said insurance companies are wealthy because they deny coverage to people who have paid for it. Grayson also said the competitive nature of a strong public option will drive down the price of insurance.
"Opponents of the public option call competition that drives prices down socialism. I call it capitalism," Grayson said.
Lee Auerbach, who owns a physical therapy practice and serves patients on Medicare, said calling it a public option is confusing; everyone should simply have health care.
"People can supplement Medicare with private insurance, and everyone will be happy," Auerbach said. "It is a federal program that works."
But Mark H. Werner, a neurologist, complained that in 1994 his insurance premiums were $8,000 a year, and now they are $24,000 a year. He said the only way insurance companies will reduce cost is by reducing care.
