"Then Who Do We Shoot?"

Family Denied Medical Treatment Because of State's Debt

"WILLIAMSON-- A Carterville mom says she was denied medical care for her children because the state isn't paying its bills.
As the Illinois budget crisis drags on, it's impacting more and more people.
Now, some doctors in southern Illinois are limiting services for patients employed by the state or is asking those patients to pay up front.
It is a vicious cycle. The state isn't paying the insurance companies, so insurance companies aren't paying doctors, and the doctors are forced to make changes some families don't like.
Ashley Wright of Carterville says one of the main reasons she and her husband decided to work for SIU was for the benefits.
Now it seems the most important perk - health insurance - is being compromised.
"On one point, I want to be mad at the doctors because I feel like they have a moral obligation to hang in there and not bail on us when times get rough," says Ashley.
During a recent check-up, Ashley's four month old son Noah was denied immunizations by his pediatrician.
The doctor said Ashley's insurance provider wasn't paying its bills. Ashley doesn't know how to fight back."

Grapes of Wrath bulldozer scene.