My mother is spekaing before Congress today about health care issues for cancer patients!


She was recently featured in a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Cancer Society about the severe challenges cancer patients can face in paying for life-saving care.


The study, entitled
" Spending To Survive: Cancer Patients Confront Holes in the Health Insurance System ", is available here: http://www.kff.org/insurance/7851.cfm

A brief synopsis of it is in the news release, which is located here:
http://www.kff.org/insurance/insurance020509nr.cfm

(My mom, Phyllis Miller, is specifically mentioned in the news release - second bullet down!)

As a result of all of this she has been invited to speak before Congress along with a group from the American Cancer Society ( I am assuming the group is made up of some of the other 19 people in the study). She's speaking today, and I am really proud of her!

She's been interviewed for publications of the American Cancer Society, local news, and the Wall Street Journal ( http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123500263888517825.html ). Her trip to Washington DC is a news feature on her local news station, WJAC in Johnstown - they interviewed her before she left, are following her around in DC (she has an entourage!), and will do a final story once she returns home. (I have looked all over their website and sadly cannot find stories or video).

She promised me that when she gets that invitation to appear on Oprah, that I will get to go with her! In the meantime, she bought me a Barack Obama t-shirt......yay!! But I was hoping for the one that says, "My mom spoke before Congress and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!"