I am an attorney. I specialize in consumer bankruptcy and disability cases. Day in and day out I see people whose financial lives have been ruined by healthcare expenses. This is true of those with and without insurance. On the disability side, I see countless people who may not even need social security disability if they could get decent affordable healthcare. Since none is available, their health deteriorates, and they must seek disability benefits in order to have access to medicare or medicaid, and to survive financially. The time... (more)

Dear Obama’s, I am writing to inform you of the health accident I have suffered and explain how so many wonderful and bismal actions are resulting from it. This tragic experience has and will have many great things stem from it rather than its initial onslaught. On June 24th, I woke up at 6am to an actual occurring stroke! Somewhat familiar, but bliss to the action, I acted out of sorts. Why wouldn’t I ya know. I am only 33 and very healthy! Many extraordinary things have taken place in a short amount of time. To make this more into... (more)

My late husband and I lived in London England in the 1990s. My husband worked as a molecular biologist at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine. I worked as a caseworker in one of Europe's largest homeless shelters for men - Arlington House. I was required to obtain T.B. testing and a number of vaccinations prior to working with this population. Thus I was introduced to Britain's National Health System. It was easy for me to get an appointment to see a doctor (general practicioner - G.P.). I chose who our doctors would be out of the... (more)

I see the importance of health care reform every day in my health care practice. The current system bogs me down and gets in the way of delivering services, and that's to the folks who can afford coverage. I'm exhausted by patients not being able to afford prescription meds, and I don't care what anyone says or tries to explain, the Medicare Part D plan is awful and broken and makes no sense whatsoever. And I regret that small business owners, like my 56-year old younger brother, cannot afford health insurance as a one-man operation, or... (more)

I grew up on welfare in public housing, but I was determined to make a better life for myself. I also wanted to help others. After years of hard work and many hardships, I finally managed to earn a degree in business and took a dream job with a nonprofit that helps prisoners with re-entry, and through a state act has the authority to allow its volunteers to monitor conditions in the state and county prisons and provide compassion and support to prisoners with little or no outside contacts. While the pay was not the best, I thought at least I... (more)

I've had 2 strokes and epilepsy. I am only 39 years old. I am on disability at the moment, and have to wait 2 years to be seen and get Medicare. I desperately need medical care now. I have no money to go get an MRI or any female checkups that I need. And I think I could be going through menopause with alot of pain. Medicaid won't approve me in Florida because my child support is still in Texas because it goes direct deposit into an account there and I OWE THE BANK MONEY! So I cannot transfer child support order over to Florida yet. (we... (more)

I had a full insurance policy with United Health Care and wound up in bankruptcy. While I was going through cancer treatment they said they weren't going to pay any more. By the time I was done with chemotherapy, we had accumulated more than $350,000 in debt. Bill collectors were threatening to attach assets, including my husband's wages. We had no choice. Now, it's as if we are starting from scratch--except we're no longer young and have ruined credit. I'm still alive and now, in addition to fighting cancer, I'm taking on the... (more)

I had my twins when i was 23, but was still too young to imagine the horrible possibilities. My water broke 8 weeks early and my daughter's umbilical cord came out before her. 15 minutes later we were at the hospital via ambulance. An emergancy C-Section and 20 minutes of CPR saved her, but she spent the first 30 days of her life in intensive care. Because i was poor at the time, i have 0 debt. Every single dollar was paid for by our public health care (Medical). I've gone to back to school and got a BA degree, i own my home now and i am... (more)

My husband is on Medicare, but I am not yet. Everytime I have a test done or see a doctor, I am calling up to dispute one thing or another with the private insurance company. There is always something wrong with the claim. This has not happened with Medicare for 3 years. I am so sick of fighting with for-profit companies. PUBLIC OPTION or NO REFORM AT ALL. We would have this if insurance hadn't bought the congress.

My story is boring and not that tragic but I am sure is common. I have health care - Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. I am currently unemployed. I recently interviewed for a job in my field in Ohio but the employer was not offering health care. I was unable to obtain health care in Ohio - on my own - because of pre-existing conditions. Just the fact that I take two high blood pressure meds - even though my BP is controlled at 120/80 avg. So I didn't get to take the job, I'm trapped in my current health care and trapped in only Kaiser... (more)

My health insurance was retroactively cancelled by Blue Cross Blue Shield after I was hospitalized for a MRSA infection that resulted in amputation of my big toe. While in the hospital recovering, I was informed by mail that Blue Cross(an 80/20 plan with most of the premium picked up by my employer)was retroactively cancelling my insurance. I was left with DR and hospital bills over $75,000 and then I was terminated by my employer Wal-Mart. Unfortunately it then gets much worse. The same year, my daughter, aged 25, and a mother of three... (more)

Two of my adult sons(I am a mother to four sons) 23 and 28 were passengers in a horrible auto crash 8-8-09 . They have no private health ins. The driver no auto ins. Their bills combined are half a million dollars in their twenties. After the emergency care and surgeries the door closed . They have no continuing care and cannot get any . A lien from the trauma/surgical hospital was filed in court within weeks on my youngest sons bills. I applied for medicaid for them and they were turned down but meet all criteria. Medicaid is federal but... (more)

I am a Registered Nurse who works in the largest Hospital in town, I see patients daily that fear that the care that they need will end up costing them everything they own. We are all one uninsured illness away from being homeless. I am also a cancer patient, for the last two years I have battled colon cancer, I see what the costs are. We need to have a single payer government run plan to cover us all! We should have as good health care as our elected officals.

Hi, I am an American living in France. I am so saddened by the stories I have read here. This sadness is emphasized by the fact that here in France, I witness incredible health care, while my fellow Americans back home are left in horrible conditions. Why do so many people in America feel that a social health care system is the enemy? I promise to anyone reading this that what I have experienced in France (I have had three children by c-section here!) has been nothing but incredible care... peaceful, with excellent doctors and staff in all... (more)

Dear President Obama, I was a volunteer for your presidential campaign, and I often shared my personal health care story while phone banking and speaking with undecided voters in swing states, because I truly believe that you are committed to fixing the health care crisis in this country. Here is my story: I am 29 years old, self-employed, and have hypothyroidism. Because of my condition (though it is easily manageable and I am in excellent health despite it), I have been denied health insurance. Though I was finally able to secure... (more)

I am writing about my niece and her husband. Jeff and Jordan. She works 32 hours per week and does not have health coverage available. She works as a customer service person at a grocery store. Her husband works full time as a cook for a hospital. He makes less than ten dollars per hour. He is a professional chef by trade. He carries the family health care and pays one hundred dollar per week! Out of a fort- hour week at less than ten dollars, this is roughly one quarter of his income that leaves little to live on after taxes. Jordan had... (more)

As a physician, I have several stories that I can share regarding my concerns of how our health care system have failed many of my patients as well as myself and others who work as health care professionals. However, one particular story that stands out in my mind is one of which I acquired a patient who was admitted through the emergency room (E.R.) at a north Texas hospital for abdominal pain. This kind single lady in her 40's worked every day as a truck driver, but could not afford health insurance because of its enormous cost. ... (more)

I work as a nurse and am a single parent to 4 children and also take care of my mother. i do not have healthcare nor do my children. I tried applying for CHIPs and made 600$ too much yearly. I tried going full time and lost $10.00/hr and was not able to provide food for my house. I believe I should be able to provide healthcare for my household and provide food for my family.Instead of choosing whether we eat or can go to the doctor or dentist for appropriate care.

In 1993 in Alabama, my wife and I were both employed by the same employer. The employer went bankrupt. When we looked into COBRA we found it was not available, because COBRA only regulates an existing insurance contract. In bankruptcy, the contract is suspended, hence no COBRA. Because of my unique medical history, I found it impossible to buy any health insurance for myself, at any price; my solution was to enroll as a UAB student solely to be able to qualify for the student health insurance. To cover my wife and two small children, I... (more)

I actualy have two stories to tell. The first one is in regard of my daughter Lisa Gay Bran that passed away 4 years ago. Lisa lived in tennessee and had waited till she was 35 to enjoy the pleasures of mother hood. The little blessing from God came on 5 September 2000 and lisa name her Ashley. On September 0f 2004, Lisa was diagnosed with cancer. She underwent a complete hysterectomy and the growth was supposebly removed. Due to the fact that she did not have insurance, she was discharged quickly and received only limited kemo. The... (more)