November 2nd - Sarah Hebert

For Sarah Hebert paying the mortgage is easy, it’s affording health care on the open market that burdens her checkbook. The 25-year-old married mother of three says that her family spends $850 or more per month on health care while only spending $800 on their mortgage.

“To be honest, it’s scary,” Hebert said. “We definitely need more coverage, and better coverage, but it is already such an expensive situation I don’t think we could afford anymore right now.”

Sarah Hebert and her daughters (l-r). Five-year-old Savannah and seven-year-old Gabriella at a youth football game on November 2nd, 2008

Hebert, who’s 9-year-old son Derrin plays little league football for the Wentwood Patriots, said the cost of health insurance is severely debilitating, but necessary. Her husband, who owns a construction company specializing in signs and house framing, is subject to the changing housing market and she doesn’t work.

“We got lucky because all the kids are on the plan we bought when they were born,” Hebert said, referring to Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans.

Hebert, who will be voting for the first time this election, said she knows that the next president will work to fix the problem but that her families financial future is made tenuous by such a large percentage of their income being spent on insurance. According to Hebert, a further recession, especially in the housing market, could stress her young family in all new ways.

Herbet is trying her best to add income to the family but said that she first needs to make it through school. The mother of three is earning her certificate to be a sonogram technician.

“I don’t work right now, so it would be hard to say what we could do.,” Hebert said. “I just know that the government has to do something.”

On the Issues

Health Care