Dear President Obama,

My story is probably far too typical in this day and age. I have a family of four, myself, my wife Nancy, and our two daughters Emily and Rebecca. Nancy is diabetic, and I am on blood pressure medicine. Our daughters have endured all of the childhood health issues, everything from broken bones to strep throat to orthodontic braces to glasses and contact lenses.

My employer offers access to a health plan, but does not provide or pay for it. I pay the entire premium, approximately $1200 per month, along with all of the deductibles and co-pays that are required. That does not include most of the dental and eye care, which is only covered for routine checkups, along with that deductible.

In shopping for a more affordable alternative, we are turned away at the door due to our pre-existing conditions as stated above. Diabetes and hypertension are two of the red flags for insurers to disqualify you for coverage. So we continue on . . . as a family spending nearly $15,000 annualy for our healthcare costs. If I were to lose my job, which is always a possibility, COBRA will be a short term fix, and a expensive one at that. We will never be able to have access to a more affordable plan unless Congress and the Whitehouse provide access to their own healthcare plan, one in which we as taxpayers continue to fund.

I would ask that access to the federal healthcare plan be a major part of your healthcare reform plan.

Thank you for listening, Mr. President, and good luck !!

John Kase