Swelling ranks of US jobless yearn for health insurance

FORT WAYNE, Indiana (AFP) — For many among the growing ranks of unemployed workers in the United States, the scariest part of losing their job is losing their health insurance.

Even before the current economic crisis, 45 million Americans were uninsured. That number is expected to rise to 54 million by 2019 if changes aren't made to the system, according to the director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

One of the swelling ranks, Amy Newlin, has been getting by on her savings and unemployment benefits after she and her husband lost their jobs last fall.

But while they can cut back on dinners out, new clothes or other inessentials, the costs of treating her diabetes, high blood pressure and thyroid difficulties have risen dramatically.

"I need insulin strips to test my blood, and medicine for my high blood pressure," Newlin told AFP.

"My insulin is 80 dollars a bottle without insurance and the strips are expensive, too. It's not easy to keep up."

The Indiana woman was one of dozens who attended a meeting Thursday for uninsured people to register for government-funded health care.

Health officials held the clinic in the basement of an elementary school to deal with a surging number of applicants as a flood of layoffs forced scores of area residents off their employer-provided plans and into the peril of being uninsured in America.

Newlin arrived prepared with a folder jammed with old pay stubs, her birth certificate and all the other necessary documents to ensure she would be signed up.

But even if she qualifies, it will be some time before she's insured and any serious illness or accident could still bankrupt her family.

Health care has long been a contentious issue in American social and political life.

High costs, the exclusion of patients with pre-existing conditions and bureaucratic snafus plague the private system, which is unattainable for a growing number of Americans.

The federal government manages two health care systems: Medicaid -- for the poor -- and Medicare -- for the elderly. They currently amount to 5 percent of America's gross domestic product.

But the costs will more than double to 12 percent by 2050, under the Congressional Budget Office's current estimates.

Indiana launched a plan at the start of 2008 to cover some -- the working poor, single parents, the moderately disabled -- who are not protected by Medicaid.

Residents aren't eligible until they've gone six months uninsured, and there's a small pay-in for participants, helping to hold down costs.

President Barack Obama made health care reform a central plank in his populist platform when he ran for the White House.

And the massive stimulus package he signed Tuesday included plans to help cover the cost of temporary coverage for scores of displaced workers and possibly extend Medicaid coverage to other uninsured Americans who would not normally be eligible.

Yet comprehensive reform has been hampered by the distraction and cost of the current economic crisis, along with the loss of Obama's first pick for health secretary, Tom Daschle, who withdrew from consideration amid questions about his tax history.

Washington's political wrangling is a far way from those gathered in the colorful basement cafeteria of Indiana's Fairfield Elementary School.

Newlin, for one, doesn't hold out much hope for the government to solve anything soon.

"I don't even know if they know where half that money is going," she said of the stimulus.

Jerome and Brenda Lewis, a couple in their mid-50s, have been without insurance since October when she lost her job -- and their coverage.

They are hopeful Obama will bring change and are thankful for the work of people who organized the clinic, but turn to a greater power for balance in these unsteady times.

"Right now, by the grace of God, everything is all right for us. We keep praying that everything will be all right," Jerome Lewis said.

Hundreds turn out for job fair

By Brandon Fincher
02-14-2009

LINCOLN – Companies who were looking to hire certainly had no shortage of candidates who arrived at the old Lincoln gymnasium on Friday to participate in the Lincoln Job Fair.
Deborah Thornton, research analyst for the Talladega County Economic Development Authority, said, as expected, the turnout by job seekers and employers was large.

“So far it’s been great. We have 30 plus employers registered. I would say we probably have 200 to 300 employees who have already signed in who are now looking for jobs at the various employers’ tables,” Thornton said around 30 minutes after the doors opened.

People from all walks of life were in attendance including Reginald and Tonia Kelley, both of Oxford, who were job seeking as husband and wife.

Reginald Kelley said, “I’m getting ready to retire from the military, and I’ve been to job fairs before. In fact, I’ve participated in some job fairs, and the setup here is nice.”

Tonia Kelley added, “It’s pretty informative. We just recently relocated here, and it’s given us an idea of what’s in the area job wise.”

The Kelleys were far from the only job seekers in attendance, though. Danny Mitchell, of Cropwell, was also on the job hunt.

“I’ve just got my mind open. I’ve never been to one of these before,” Mitchell said. “So far it’s so good.”

Employers either passed out information or accepted job applications.

One of those was the Alabama Department of Corrections which was looking for correctional officers. Cynthia Nelson, with the ADOC, said she was looking for applicants that could pass the physical testing, background check and who were ready to come in and work in the state’s prison system.

Nelson said, “There are a lot of opportunities for advancement once they come in as a correctional officer trainee and after they’ve gone through the academy and established permanent status.

“Whenever we give our promotional exam or sergeant’s exam, they can take that and advance up. Once they’ve been in that classification, and if they desire to move up, they can take the next promotion.”

Nelson said the turnout was great, and there were many people who stopped by the ADOC booth who were interested in the job and picked up information to research.

“We have great benefits, and it is a career,” Nelson said.

The job fair was sponsored by the Talladega County Improvement Foundation, the Greater Talladega/Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce, the Childersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce and the Talladega County Economic Development Authority.

Thornton said she had received calls from job seekers as far away as Cleburne, Randolph and Chambers counties who inquired about the job fair.

“We started in January with a job fair in Sylacauga. We were trying to do them every 90 days, but the needs were so critical we decided to bump it up and do it sooner,” Thornton said. “We have another job fair scheduled for April 10 in Childersburg.”

Thornton said the sponsors had devised a list and contacted companies from Talladega, Calhoun and St. Clair counties to see if they would like to participate.

She said the job fair benefited from volunteers who manned the sign-in table and restaurants and grocery stores such as Domino’s Pizza, Carter’s Barbecue, R and B Barbecue, Jack’s, Wal-Mart in Talladega and Pell City, and Super Foods in Lincoln who provided food to feed the employers.

Thornton said she also was thankful for service group who provided information and assistance at the job fair. They were Alabama Department of Public Health’s ALL Kids Insurance, Cheaha Regional Head Start, the Coosa River Baptist Association, and FIRST Family Service Center.

Job seekers were just thankful for the opportunity to have a chance for a job.

“When you have an opportunity to participate in a job fair, you’re always looking for something, a new job or a better job. It gives you a good feel for what’s out there,” Reginald Kelley said.