Erin Piotrowski
posted
Jul 3, 2012
Dear Editor of Mountain Times,
As a high school teacher, I know many students who do not have
health insurance. Although many people in Vermont think that
children are covered in Vermont, this is actually a misconception.
Doctor Dynasaur does cover many children, but it is not universal.
Many families do not know about Doctor Dynasaur, do not meet income
requirements, or are unwilling to pay premiums. Many children,
through no fault of their own, are left without insurance, and they
suffer the consequences.
One such student, who was having trouble with attendance, had
been sick for two months. She hadn't seen a doctor because of
a lack of insurance and was more afraid of costs than the
illness.
Her situation is more common than we'd like to think. Ill
students are distracted from their studies, and they fall behind in
their studies and too often become jaded with school, and sometimes
even drop out.
My uncovered students see other peers receiving excellent health
coverage, yet they receive none of this. Why does the student
sitting next to them deserve to get good healthcare and they do
not? It isn't fair.
And I couldn't agree more with them. Even small co-pays are
often enough to scare young people away from going to a doctor. The
current system does cover some underprivileged youth, but it is too
complicated for many to access. We need a uniform system where
everyone is systematically covered.
I am happy to pay my share of taxes to support this system.
Sincerely,
Erin Piotrowski, Rutland, Vt.
