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"You're at the mercy of the company. THERE'S NO GUARANTEE.'' ent medications; now she's down to 13. She constantly drinks children's Benadryl to keep her histamine levels low. She's found that because her body is so sensitive, brand name drugs (which are more expensive) work best for her, and she must be careful about what kinds of foods she eats, selecting mostly organic, but costlier, vegetables and meats. As a result of the steroids she sometimes takes to lower her body's inflammation, she said she's developed medicationinduced diabetes. All these expenses add up. Anderson said that she used to enjoy life more, often going out to the movies and theater, or to different music shows and concerts. These days, she holds her breath until the end of the month, hoping there's some money left over for anything beyond the bare necessities. She survives on about $1,500 a month – a mix of Social Security, pension, and family help. Usually for the first three months of the year, she goes into deficit, putting her medical tab on credit cards until her prescription drug coverage starts. Though Anderson is one of the lucky Americans who receives retiree healthcare, a fast-vanishing benefit, she still lives in constant fear that the premiums and plan can change at any time, or be eliminated altogether. "You're at the mercy of the company," said Anderson. "There's no guarantee." It's already happened to her. Last year, Anderson received a letter APRIL 2008 from Southern California Edison saying that her retiree health insurance premiums through Blue Cross were going to be about $89. Then she received a second letter saying that as of Jan. 1, 2008, that amount would be almost double. She decided to switch over to Health Net, which is about $30 to $40 cheaper, to save every penny she could, but is unsure if the coverage will be as comprehensive. She also noted that she used to have a choice among 10 different plans, but the options have now been slashed to five. Since the beginning of the year, Anderson has needed to be admitted to the hospital four times, and she estimates that she pays thousands of dollars out of her own pocket just to meet the drug deductible before coverage kicks in. To keep going, Anderson focuses on the things she's grateful for: her son, her three grandchildren, and the community of systemic mastocytosis patients both nationally and in Los Angeles that she's helped develop. She wishes, however, that the United States could implement a single-payer national healthcare program so that the costs of living with her disease weren't such a burden. "Lots of people who have this disease have no insurance," said Anderson. "They're prone to die. It's still a financial stress, but I'm blessed." I Lucia Hwang is editor of Registered Nurse. W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G REGISTERED NURSE 21