Health Insurance Can Mean Life Or Death In Some Cases

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By Jeff Muniz

Health Insurance. For many it's costly just to have it and others too costly to even get it. One family says no health insurance cost the life of their 33-year-old son.

Fresh-faced out of high school, Eric Fair found a good job with benefits at Butler Manufacturing in Galesburg. In 2001, he was laid off.

Since then, he could only find temporary work with no health insurance meaning it was too expensive to see a doctor.

At the age of 33, Eric Fair died in February.

His father Bill said, "His heart was 80-90% blocked with plaque. I feel if he had health insurance my son would be alive today."

The Fair family joined 17th District Congressman Phil Hare in promoting health care for all Americans.

Outside of universal health care, Hare is also pushing for tax credits for small businesses providing health insurance and more portability.

"If you lose your job at Butler you can let that health care go with that person to their other job."

Greg Chance with the Knox County Health Department said, "We provide those individuals with the ability to come in and get a routine physical and identify potential health risks and we case manage their health risks with them."

A program that came too late for Eric Fair, but may just save the life of someone else.

Tuesday, May 13 at 10:38 AM angie wrote ...

The state has many prgrams to help those who do not have health insurance, ICHIP is one that someone in his type of situation might have checked into. it is like Public aide you go to the local Human services department.

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