Bridget is a stage 3 breast cancer survivor.  She was diagnosed in November 2000 and forced to leave work due to her illness in 2002.  After leaving work, she spent 18 months uninsured, during which time she could not afford to see her doctor regularly.  She was forced to go when symptoms such as lumps began to appear.  She now has Medicare, but has still needed to take out a second and then a third mortgage on her house to support her medical expenses.  At the time of her testimony, she had over $7,000 in unpaid medical debts outstanding.