• 09
  • February
    2011

When Randy Gardner was struck by a bullet during last month's shooting outside a Tucson supermarket, one of the first thoughts through his mind was whether he could afford the medical care he was sure to need without accruing substantial medical debt. "I wondered, 'How much is this going to cost me?'" he said. "It was a thought that went through my head right away."

Most, if not all, of the Tucson victims appear to have sufficient health care coverage, and what is not covered by private insurance plans will likely be paid for through state and federal victim compensation funds or through private charitable donations. In the case of Ron Barber, the district director for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' Congressional office, his medical care will likely be covered by worker's compensation.

While it is certainly commendable that the victims' insurance providers have been described as responsive and helpful, such reports leave the millions of Americans struggling to receive health care coverage with, for the lack of a better word, envy. Monique Pomerleau suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident almost a year ago but is still waiting to enter a costly rehabilitation program. Her insurer claims that there are no such services in the network. "We watched the Congresswoman's care and we thought, how marvelous," said Lisa Kantor, Pomerleau's attorney, "but there are real people out there like Monique who don't get the same possibilities."

There are additional costs that victims may struggle with, such as trauma counseling, a loss of wages during recuperation and rehabilitation, and travel costs for those who wish to attend the trial of the accused shooter. Because these and similar necessities are not medical debt, they are unlikely to be covered by health insurance, leaving many victims and their families wondering how they are going to cover those costs.

Source: New York Times, "For Tucson Survivors, Health Care Cost Is Concern", Marc Lacey and Sam Dolnick, 3 February 2011