Hubby Wanted -- For Health Care

(CBS)  A San Diego County woman with a rare genetic disease is looking for a husband -- with really good health insurance, and in a unique way.

As CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston reports, Terri Carlson, a 45-year-old divorcee, created a Web site and has been posting several YouTube videos saying that she'll marry for health insurance.

She's searching for "the one" with the lowest co-pays and, according to one of her posts, doesn't care about physical appearance.

Carlson's condition, called C4 Complement Deficiency, has no known cure.

"[It] makes me unable to process bacteria and viruses efficiently and my body attacks itself. It's very similar to lupus," she explained.

As a mother and housewife for 24 years, Carlson never had to worry about health care, until now. She is divorced and has one year left under COBRA health coverage, but after that, she will have nothing to help pay for numerous doctors appointments and dozens of medications.

Carlson works part-time from home, but her employer doesn't provide health care. And because of her disorder, insurance companies have denied her coverage. Last week, she turned to the Internet for help.

And the public has responded, with more than 5,000 e-mails, and counting, from people all over the world.

"If this is what I have to do to get the word out and put a face to pre-existing conditions and people that are caught in the middle, I'm willing to do it," she told a reporter.

Carlson stopped by "The Early Show" Monday to talk about her unusual quest.

"Let's talk about the tough reality here. And you have pre-existing condition. And in this day and time, if you're trying to get insurance, you are out of luck, period, right?" co-anchor Harry Smith asked.

"Forget about it, yeah. You forget about it, there's no chance to get it," she replied.

Carlson told Smith she has uncovered no options to obtain health care. "I've looked, I've searched, there is absolutely no stone that I've left unturned. And there are no other options for me."

Asked what the reaction has been to her unique online husband/health care search, Carlson said, "Well, went on last Sunday and after the first one hit, I had a few people e-mailing me and then people forwarded to their friends. And then I had people e-mailing me, we want another one, we want to see. And then they said you were hired by the Democratic Party."

Carlson says some people think she is part of a left-wing conspiracy, but she told Smith, "I'm just like every other middle American that's suffering with a pre-existing condition and caught in the middle. And if that makes me the poster child for President Obama, I'm happy to do it."

Carlson told Smith she's gotten about 3,000 offers, and said she is seriously considering marrying for health care coverage. "I have do whatever I have to do to save my life. And that would include that. And I will go through all those e-mails," she explained.

Asked what her kids think of their mom's campaign, Carlson said, "They're very supportive. They're worried about me, too. This is not just about me. It's thousands of e-mails that I have in my inbox now people asking me to be the voice for them, the person, the people that are caught in the middle. I've heard some tragic stories. This is for them, too. If they did a poll on my in-box about health care reform, 99 percent of Americans would want health care reform if they just looked at my in-box."

"You must have watched all of this very carefully then as health care reform was moving through the Congress. How about the notion of if they had just tried to do certain pieces at a time as opposed to the whole thing, including making it illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage to pre-existing conditions?" Smith asked.

"When you're in my position, you just want them to do something. I would have taken anything. Of course I want them to do something. I feel a little bit - I might want to mention, I've been a Republican my whole life. So when I voted for a Democrat, President Obama, for the first time I've ever voted for a Democrat, so this isn't out anything that's a political agenda other than the fact I'm a person that has a condition, and I'm a mother, I'm like every other person that can't get health care and I want to live for my children and see grandchildren," she told Smith.

Finally, when asked if she'd let Smith know if her quest turns into a marriage proposal, Carlson said, "Absolutely. Be right there!"

[mamahawaii]

In the State of Hawaii all employees that work 20 hours or more for 4 consective weeks are eligiable for health care insurance, they cannot be turned down due to preexisting conditions. Anyone can form a s corporation or an LLC in Hawaii, have Hawaii income, pay taxes and get health insurance thru an employer plan.

[ultraliteflyer]

aloha, i love hawaii

[ultraliteflyer]

Hillary Clinton warned the American public in the early '90's that
the current 'employer based' health insurance system was not sustainable.
Hillary and many democrats pleaded with the voting public to back the push to a 'single payer system'. Instead of backing her proposal, they accused her of being a communist and made fun of her hairdo' So now that Hillary has been proven correct,working class republicans have found out they've been DUPED by the 'GIPPER' and expect OBAMA to fix it all in 5 minutes!
Under Hillary Clinton's single payer system, this woman would have been completely covered, and wouldn't have to be humiliated by cyberbegging for a fake marriage.

[stryker54]

She was a Republin all her life, right, and my azz is a banjo. I'm not Dem or Repub, but voted who I thought was the best to lead our country. This is another gimmick. If she was repub. and knew she had this problem she would have done something before now. Why is it everyone wrecks the car than wants Insurance. She can always do what most in Cali already know. Put everything in your kids name and go on welfare, they will pay everything. That will end up being or national health care anyway if the dems get what they want. Govt. to pay everything and those of us that work will foot the bill.

[erasmus111]

What she needs to do is marry someone from Canada.

I can't believe that it is taking this long for something to be done about the health care.

Why does EVERYTHING have to be such an ordeal in America? Why is there this constant battle between the Republicans and the Democrats? Why is there such major corruption?

It's PATHETIC!

[ultraliteflyer]

I hate to be the skunk at the picnic, but if this woman is a "lifetime republican",she helped cause the situation that she's in. You wanted republican health care, you got it. Be carful what you vote for.

[truth-b-toll]

She kinda looks like Olivia Newton John
I better shape up,
cause she needs a man...

[bustogusto]

My 5 year old son who is being treated for Leukemia is almost done with his treatment but he is basically uninsurable. I live in a stat where the best they can do for high risk children is give us underinsurance with $300k out of pocket lifetime maximum, where if something happens we have to go bankrupt. People actually think this is an acceptable solution because "by law they have to treat you". I know I will not wait until this is the best choice for my son. But it's sad that people feel it won't happen to them and why should they pay. Needing health care is never a choice, it irks me that there are so many dense heads in the US and in the Republican party. And those the block Health care because they are "one issue" obstructionists for abortion should be shot. Support your beliefs but don't kill other people in the process.

[goirish1974]

I felt sorry for you until I read your last two sentences. I should be shot because I don't want any of my money paying for abortions? "Support your beliefs but don't kill other people in the process." You are really messed up.

[taxpayingvoter]

It happened to me and I went from living in a 8 bedroom house 2 blocks from the beach in california to the back of a Volkswagen station wagon

[pnut134]

Conservatives do not care as long as they have coverage.

[antoniof123]

She didn't care before but I do feel for her she has learned and making mistakes is part of life and I hope she is helped. I voted for Obama and I will vote Democrate solid again until we fix the mess that Bush made.

[SusanStoHelit]

Welcome to reality. You can't get medical coverage if you actually need it, and without it, you can't get anything but emergency treatment for when you are dying - not the stuff to stop you from dying - even if it's far cheaper than treating you as you die. We have the stupidest health care system here! Everywhere else rational has universal health care, it's cheaper, it covers EVERYONE, and we don't pay billions to health insurance companies so they can spend the money thinking up new ways and new excuses to deny claims.

So typical that some would rather accuse her of being a Democratic operative than recognize the reality that you cannot get covered with a preexisting, and without that coverage, people do die.

[nolapearl]

Good luck to her. I hope she lives to see her grandchildren grow up. The people who think we don't all need health care, should cancel their own health insurance and see how they like it.