July 10, 2009 Family battles cancer, complicated health care system Play video

(NECN: Marnie MacLean, Bryant Pond, Maine) - While heart disease is the nation's number one killer, in Maine that title goes to cancer. 3,700 Mainers are expected to die from the disease this year alone. Those who are sick say they battle not only cancer, but a complicated health care system that isn't affordable or accessible.

Now that health care reform is on the front-burner in Washington, these families want lawmakers to know there has to be a better way.

Bird watching offers a welcome distraction for Linwood Hinckley in Wilton, Maine. Most of the time, he's focused on fighting cancer.

Linwood Hinckley: "It's a roller coaster, I have good days and bad days"

Eight years ago, Linwood found out he had a genetic form of thyroid cancer. He's traced the cancer gene back through his mother's side. 46 family members have been diagnosed with the same cancer, including his youngest son. Most have been cured, but Linwood's cancer has spread .

These books hold just the last two years worth of medical bills.

Linwood is lucky, he has insurance through the mill worked at for last 23 years, but times aren't good for paper industry, and every layoff he holds his breath, because worried about losing a lot more than his job.

Linwood: "Keeping my insurance a big issue for me, without that can't imagine when see all the bills can't imagine how people without insurance do it, see how people can go bankrupt"

Linwood isn't bankrupt....but

it's close. There's 8 dollars in the family savings account....because while insurance pays a lot of his costs, his portion of the bills reaches into the thousands...

And since his cancer is rare, he needs to travel to Boston for treatment. Those costs aren't covered....thankfully, his community has held fund raisers to help with the financial burden.

In the nearby town of Bryant Pond, Deanne Rothwell fights her own battle with cancer. Diagnosed with a brain tumor three years ago...this mother of three has undergone surgery, and months of radiation therapy. Thankfully, the tumor has stopped growing, but the bills keep coming.

Deanne: "A family of three with a stay at home mom it was tough to swallow that chunk we still paying bills constantly on it--even with insurance, uh , uh"

Like Linwood, Deanne's insurance doesn't cover all her medical costs. She too has relied on donations from the community, mostly to help pay for her two month stay in Indiana for radiation.

Diane Mitchell is the one who rallies the troops when a neighbor needs help. She's lost 26 family members to cancer...and knows the toll it takes.

Diane Mitchell: "Times get tough for them and we pull together benefits and hold raffles and boost spirits at the same time and let them know the community is behind them"

Mitchell says the community does its part to try and make up for what she sees as a flawed system...one that isn't affordable, easily accessible, or portable.

The American Cancer Society says we have a sick care system, not health care--and prevention also has to be a primary focus of reform.

They know how to support each other....now they want lawmakers to show they support meaningful health care reform.