New Kerry Ad Spotlights Family Health Care Crisis
Kerry Pledges to Reform Health Care in First 100 Days
December 26, 2003 Washington, DC -
John Kerry will launch a new ad that will air on Monday statewide in Iowa and later in the week in New Hampshire. In the 30-second spot, John Kerry talks about the unique health care challenges facing John and Mary Ann Knowles of New Hampshire, and his plan to provide all Americans with high quality affordable health care.
Kerry spokesperson Stephanie Cutter said, “John Kerry met the Knowles’ on the campaign trail and felt that their personal story truly encompassed what is wrong with the nation’s health care system. John Kerry is fighting for Americans who can’t afford their health care because George Bush has put lobbyists ahead of Americans like the Knowles.”
A year and a half ago, John Knowles lost his job as a software technical writer. To make ends meet, Mary Ann took on longer hours as an editor for a non-profit organization. Last July, Mary Ann was diagnosed with breast cancer and needed a mastectomy and 16 weeks of chemotherapy. In order to maintain her full health benefits to afford the life saving surgery and treatment, Mary Ann had to continue to work full time. For the last 5 months, Mary Ann has juggled surgery, a prolonged recovery, chemo treatments, and side effects with a full work day that normally starts at 7 a.m.
“I’ve spoken to John Kerry a number of times since my diagnosis. I’m always deeply moved by his compassion regarding my illness, and the obvious empathy engendered by his own bout with cancer,” said Mary Ann Knowles. “When John Kerry is elected President, he’ll fight special interests like the drug companies, and allow average ordinary people like us to have peace of mind, and a chance to concentrate on getting well when we’re sick without the burden of going to work every day. When John Kerry is elected President, people like John won’t lose all their coverage when they lose their jobs. They’ll have options, and a fighting chance.”
In his first 100 days as President, Kerry will propose a realistic plan that stops spiraling healthcare costs, covers every child in America, and makes it possible for every American to get the same health care as any Member of Congress. Kerry’s plan includes:
A New Approach to Control Spiraling Health Care Costs: John Kerry has a comprehensive plan to stop spiraling health care costs, including providing relief for the highest cost cases. Under Kerry’s proposal companies and insurers that guarantee a pass-through of the savings to their workers through reduced premiums, would be reimbursed for 75 percent of catastrophic costs above $50,000.
A Strong Enforceable Patients’ Bill of Rights: John Kerry will fight for a strong enforceable patients’ bill of rights to assure patients get access to the specialists they need, can choose their own doctor, have access to a real appeals process, and can hold HMOs accountable when they make mistakes that hurt the patients.
Guarantee Health Care for Every Child: In a new compact with the states, the Federal government will pick up the cost of Medicaid coverage for children in exchange for automatic enrollment of all school children eligible for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Independent experts estimate that the Kerry plan will cover 99 percent of America’s children.
Text of Ad:
John Kerry: “The Knowles family is living through America’s healthcare crisis. John Knowles lost his job, his wife Mary Ann has breast cancer. To keep her health insurance she had to keep working right through the chemotherapy. We need to change that.
I’m John Kerry and I approved this message because in my first hundred days as president I’ll introduce legislation that makes your health insurance more important than the drug companies profits.”
