We’ve told you LB 887, the Wellness In Nebraska Act, will help at least 54,000 uninsured Nebraskans get access to necessary health care. That’s a big number, but each one of those numbers is a person.
So we’d like you to meet a few of the Nebraskans who would be helped by LB 887 and hear in their own words why WIN is a win for our friends and neighbors who now have no route to get coverage.
Denise Dickeson is unable to work because of a disability and often runs out of money before the end of the month. For Denise, WIN would mean being able to cover emergency expenses like a broken car battery without cutting into her budget for food and other necessities.
“I’m not lazy. I’d work if I could, I loved working. But, I can’t. It’s as simple as that. There are plenty of people in my situation, and it just doesn’t make any sense.”
Todd Ruhter of Grand Island has a job in the restaurant industry, but doesn’t receive insurance through his employer and doesn’t make enough to afford private coverage. Todd has survived living with AIDS, but needs coverage for other health conditions that are common for middle-age people.
“One of the things that sustains me as well as other people living with AIDS is to be a valuable, contributing member of society. Not just to sit back and wait for fate to catch us.”
Oksana Kling wants to go back to work as a home daycare provider, however until she gets necessary treatments for a knee injury, she can’t. Oksana is one of the many people who would only need WIN temporarily until they recovered enough to get back to work.
“We’re hoping the Governor and the members of the Unicameral see we’re actually people and not just members. Me and many other people who need this coverage temporarily can get repaired, get fixed, get healthy, and then be able to resume full-time work and contribute more to the tax base.”
Please call or write your state senator and tell them hard-working people in Nebraska need their help. We must pass Wellness In Nebraska because it’s the right thing to do. We don’t leave our neighbors behind in our state.