Vista woman looks for husband and health insurance

As the politicians continue to fight over health care reform, we got a graphic illustration in San Diego of how desperate some are for health insurance coverage. A Vista woman recently posted a YouTube video as a marriage proposal and a plea for health insurance.

It takes a lot for 45-year-old Terri Carlson of Vista to feel down. Last week however, she thought her world was going to end.

"The very day that (Scott) Brown was elected and it looked like healthcare reform was going to die, I thought I was going to die," she said.


Carlson said she was heartbroke when Republican Scott Brown was voted in as the newest senator in Massachusetts. She wants healthcare reform and said that with his election, it wasn't going to happen. Her only option, she said was to find a husband.

"I realized the only option was to get married. I had no other options," she said.

Carlson suffers with a rare genetic immune disorder called C4 Complement Deficiency. She said she suffered years with infections, joint pains and horrible illness. It's tough for her body to heal properly. Since she was diagnosed, she's been taking up to 19 different medications, costing her hundreds on a monthly basis.

"I'm constantly feeling there's a foreign invader inside by body even though I might be over the infection," said Carlson.

She was insured before, but since her divorce about two years ago, she's left to insure herself. According to Carlson, her Cobra coverage ends in a year, and every health insurance company she's applied for, has denied her because of her pre-existing condition. So, just a few days ago, she decided to post marriage proposals on YouTube.

"I don't care what you look like, but what I do care about is how good your health insurance is," according to Carlson on one of her postings.

"I am looking for a husband, and the healthcare is going to be a huge consideration on who I choose to live my life with," she said.

One of Carlson's four grown kids agrees with her decison to do this.

"Bcause they're worried about me, cause they're worried about me," she said.

But the bigger message is that she wants to be the face of healthcare reform and represent the people who struggle with it on a daily basis. Since she started posting videos, she's received more than 5,000 potential suitors. Her website is www.willmarryforhealthinsurance.com.