Marie, Leonidas Chocolates, Wilmette, IL
Marie is a member of the Main Street Alliance.
Jeanne Balmes, Gurnee, IL
Jeanne is a member of the Main Street Alliance, and the owner of Balmes Florist in Gurnee
Dan Sherry: “A Walking Time Bomb”
Dan and his wife own Kennedy’s Creative Awards in Waukegan and the ID Store in Barrington. He was one of the first members of the Illinois Main Street Alliance.
David Borris: Health Care Needed in a “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” Global Economy
David – owner of Hel’s Kitchen Catering in Northbrook, IL – is the state spokesman for the Illinois Main Street Alliance.
Jim Evans – A Survivor’s Story
Jim is the co-owner of Consignments Etc., Highwood, IL
“I am a cancer survivor. I’ve been cancer-free for three years now. In two years I will be officially cured for insurance and medical purposes.
My partner and I currently pay $24,000 per year in insurance premiums. With such high premiums, I have had to choose between paying the utility bill for the store and paying the health insurance bill. On top of that we have a $10,000 deductible, and are forced to pay cash for many of our prescriptions. Recently, one of my medications cost $10 a pill. The insurance company paid $20 total, leaving me with a $180 bill for critical medication. The insurance company simply refuses to cover it.
I have tried to get insurance through the chamber of commerce, only to find out that insurance companies are still able to price coverage individually, based on medical history. They definitely discriminate against people like me.
I’m not optimistic about the future insurance-wise, at least not with my current company. I doubt very much that the rates will ever go down, even in two years when I should be officially cured. I have also looked into the state uninsurable pool, but don’t qualify.
Right now I’m trapped – paying too much for too little. Something needs to happen.”
Waiting for Medicare – Jim Kelly’s Story
Glenview, IL
I have been in the carpet / flooring business for a long time. I had worked at a carpet showroom in Evanston for almost 9 years before the owner decided to sell. The new owner came in, and promised to keep providing employees with the health benefits we had enjoyed up to that point. After about 4 months, he changed his mind and ended the health coverage. His decision affected my wife as well, since she is self-employed and had always obtained coverage through my job.
I left the business shortly after. As I began to look for work elsewhere, I noticed a trend. Large retailers like Home Depot offered health benefits, but barely paid what I consider a living wage. Smaller shops offered better salaries, but not health coverage. I also found that smaller shops were looking for someone who could get it through other sources, since they were too small to afford coverage. I eventually found a good job, and settled for no insurance through work. Read the rest of this entry »
Health Care Story – Jan Wood, Palatine
Jan and her husband own J.P. Wood Martial Arts in Palatine.
I believe there are a number of problems with today’s health care in our country. I believe we all share in the problems we are facing, and we all need to make adjustments to solve our health care crisis. The problems are many, and the discrpancy among those with quality health care and those without is growing.
There are too many stories right now of unemployed individuals with pre-existing conditions not being able to obtain coverage. As unemployment rises, we see the increased problems with tying health insurance to employment.
Small business is the backbone of our country, and the simple fact is that it is becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible, for small businesses to afford medical coverage for themselves or their employees. Read the rest of this entry »
Health Care Story – Cindy Moylan, IDEA Design, Libertyville
My husband, Steve, and I own a cabinetry and kitchen design
business. In recent years, Steve has had a retina problem. His retina
detached several times last year. Mainly because of this issue, our insur-
ance premiums are getting out of control. We have two individual
policies. Together, our premiums increased from $1,580 per month to
$2,000 per month this year. That is for policies with $1,000 deductibles per person and no dental or vision benefits.
With deductibles, we pay about $26,000 per year on health care. I’d
like to be able to shop around for better prices, but fear that my
husband’s condition will be treated as a pre-existing condition. I am
very concerned about being able to afford coverage for my family in
the future.