Joanne Tosti-Vasey's Bone Marrow Transplant Story

Joanne Tosti-Vasey, immediate past President of the Pennsylvania NOW and Healthcare for All PA board member, has written this story below on her need for a bone marrow transplant and her struggles with insurance and a link to a similar Good Morning America Story that struck a chord for her.

I received a bone marrow transplant 23 years ago from my identical twin sister. Although I had no problem finding a match, I had to jump through many hoops and barriers put up by the two health insurance companies covering my sister and myself. Because of the support and advocacy I had through the organization where I self-purchased my health insurance (the National Organization for Women), we were finally able to get me the life-saving transplant that I needed. My suggestions to anyone facing a similar situation:
1. Keep a positive attitude just like Erika Turner did.
2. Don't give up and keep fighting against whatever barrier is put in your way.
3. Don't take no for an answer.
4. Tell your success story to others.
5. Be thankful that soon, preexisting conditions will no longer be a reason to refuse medical treatment.
6. If you are politically motivated and don't ever want to see insurance companies fighting over who is NOT going to cover a donor either because "they aren't sick" or because "they aren't on your health insurance policy" (the original reasons my transplant was denied), then consider supporting either a national or state-level universal single-payer health care program where there is only one payer involved and you still get to choose your doctor and treatment plan. For more details on this type of plan, go to Physicians for a National Health Plan at http://www.pnhp.org/.

Cancer Survivor Meets Her Bone Marrow Donor for First Time on 'GMA'

gma.yahoo.comABC News’ Brian O’Keefe reports: Erika Turner’s life as a happily married mother of two came to a screeching halt