Healthcare Reform Hits Close to Home

Austin, TX (myFOXaustin.com) - The healthcare debate is hitting close to home after an important vote in the Senate this past weekend, congressional leaders are back in Texas explaining their positions to constituents. Lifetime caps on the amount insurance companies will cover are an important talking point for Democrats and Republicans, but for one Austin woman, it's more than rhetoric, it's a matter of life and death.

Travis County employee Delores Rosas is living with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer.  She's beating the odds with expensive and cutting-edge treatmetn. But in July, she hit her two million dollar lifetime cap.

"I wasn't going to seek any more treatment, they told me I should pull out my life insurance, I didn't want to do that, that's all I have left to leave for my family," said Delores Rosas.

Rosas is closely watching the healthcare reform debate going on in Washington, when on Saturday Senate Democrats got enough votes to bring the bill up for debate.

"I think we've taken great strides forward, we're much closer to getting the reform of insurance that so many Americans need," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D).

"Unfortunately I think Washington has gotten off track," said Sen. John Cornyn (R).

Republican Senator Cornyn and Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett represent opposites sides of the healthcare debate.

Both were in Austin Monday and discussed on of the most controversial aspects of the healthcare debate, a public option.

"A public option is a government takeover of healthcare and I simply can't agree with that," said Sen. Cornyn.

"I think we need it very much, I hope that in the conference committee, we'll some form of a public option," said Rep. Doggett.

Compromise will be key in passing a healthcare bill according to experts, but it can't come fast enough for the who already sick.

"We have enough to worry about and not have to worry about finances, while we're struggling to stay alive, that should be the least of our worries," said Rosas.