I am a 51 year old woman, who is self employed, and paying through the nose for insurance that has a large deductible and not very good coverage. This is simply because I do not belong to "a group." A public group option would be very beneficial to me. When the insurance companies are in business for profit, then it is the consumer that suffers. We need a single payer option. The insurance companies are a blight on the whole health industry! Their goal is to make money, not to advance the health of the people it supposedly... (more)

IT'S JUST NOT AMERICAN TO DENY ANY AMERICAN CITIZEN FROM A QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE

My brother in law lost his healthcare when he lost his job. He lost his job, ironically, because he led a group of workers to the boss to ask for better coverage. (A reason to pass EFCA by the way.) This began a devastating downward spiral into homelessness and worse. My mother-in-law worked 30+ years as a preschool teacher in NYC where she was unionized and had great healthcare. When she moved to California, all the jobs in the preschools were non-union. So she had no healthcare, having been a preschool teacher, with a masters in early... (more)

As a cancer patient, I had little choice as I was part of an HMO. In my experience, several of the MD's caring for me were barely competent. Now that I have been laid off of my job I am on COBRA. Howere, it does not go on for ever and, of course, I cannot get am individual plan. Hopefully I will get a new job with benefits. As a Registered Physical Therapist I have lived through seeing the great decline in quality care. Care is now provided in an atmosphere where insurance companies can approve or deny care as they see fit. However, we... (more)

Mr. President, I am in TOTAL favor of health care reform in this country. We are shamefully the only westernized country which lacks a univeral health care system for all . Health care is not an option - it is a necessity. Health care should be given to everyone regardless of ability to pay. Healthcare should not be a business it should be a helping hand that reaches out to everyone equally. I have always had health coverage - that is up unti my divorce. Then, all of a sudden, I found myself not being able to afford it. Now,... (more)

We provide health care insurance contributions for our five employees. One employee in his late 20s can only insure his three year old son, as his wife only has one kidney and he has had minor health problems. No one will insure them at any reasonable price.

My husband and I are fortunate to have retired while health care coverage was still part of our retirement programs. Our daughters are, unfortunately, caught in the current dilemma presented by unaffordable health care and lack of coverage. Once they were no longer covered under our employer programs we were faced with a choice between no coverage for our children, or paying for their coverage out of our own budget. We could not accept leaving their health care to chance, and have purchased coverage for them, because they could not afford it... (more)

an over-seventy-years couple who keeps having their health care cut and cut and cut as it becomes more necessary. solutions to budget problems on the backs of the elderly, the poor and the young may be 'clever' for arnold the terminator but are devastating to those of us without his perverse sense of humor. we need real help with real medical care, not rhetoric and deception. So far THIS YEAR they have cut seven of the most basic services COMPLETELY. No warning...nothing. Just cuts cuts cuts. We will have our turn at that.

The cost of prescription drugs has nearly doubled in the last 10 years. It is very diffcult to pay for them, when you are on Social Security. If we could have access to generic drugs and also have safe importation, and drug price negotiation, which would help lower thedrung cost prices. c

After leaving my old job to start my own business, I decided to join with Cobra until I could figure out my healthcare plan. My husband and I were also trying to get pregnant. I'm 36 and this would be our first child. My doctor recommended a mild fertility drug after months with no success. I found out that if I take that drug, I'm basically un-insurable on any medical plan for at least 2 years and in some cases until I reach menopause. Why are healthcare companies allowed to discriminate and reject applicants who have conditions and... (more)

HEALTH-CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS.

Medicare is under too much stress and strain due to budget cuts, and clinics are hard to go to because of unacceptable appointment policies. We need REAL health care now.

I always supported natiional health care. long over due even though I am already on medicare as a retired individual.

i dont go to the doctor. my son who is a young adult, needs dentsl care, but we don't make enough to pay for it. Bring the single payer folks to the table; they speak for us all (a course, we r not the monster insurance companies. . .are we).

I am a member of the Los Angeles Ataxia support group. I do not suffer from this serious disease, but beloved relatives and friends do. I am constantly shocked and disgusted by the challenges these people face with our health care system. Unless they are lucky enough to get into a funded program, they receive second rate care. As the onset of Ataxia can be very early, many people never had a work history along with health insurance. The result is our "National shame". I want more people to be aware of the personal... (more)

President Obama, your help is desperately needed! My husband and I run a small business in Southern California and we are responsible for purchasing our own health insurance. Due to my preexisting medical conditions the insurance companies made the cost of a family policy more than we could afford. As a small business we were eligible to purchase health insurance that was part of a small business pool, but each of us had to have our own policy. For the last 10-years, or so, our monthly premiums were high, but manageable; however, that has... (more)

Dear sirs/madam: I have worked more than 20 years. Now I don't have work but of course I need some health coverage to protect my life. After three month of trying hard, finaly in April I found a kind of coverage with high deductable/out of pocket and high mothly premium with very restricted and cruelly terms. I am paying $513.00 monthy pemium from my pocket although I don't have any job. Insurance company, withdraws automaticaly every 1st of the month the premium from my credit card. If there is even one day delay, then I receive warning... (more)

Mr. President, I was born 50 years ago with a congenital heart defect that, at the time, was not a routine "fix" for a child. Left untreated, I was not expected to reach my Sweet 16th birthday. Treatment was available, but too costly for my parents--a music teacher in a poor school district of New York State and a homemaker. I learned that my father tearfully accepted a loan from my maternal grandfather for the surgery. Fifty years later, my cardiologists declare me "perfectly healthy" and I enjoy an unrestricted life of... (more)

One day, I suffered a stroke. Six days, I woke in a hospital. I could not speak properly. Later, I found a portion of my brain was basically not there. You can into the scan and see the problem. Later, my brain started to connect the "wires." Other parts of my brain allowing me to speak again. Fortunately, my doctor found a USC special trainer, to help me into classes. This helped me to allowing me to restructure my brain. Now, I believe we can find a plan to allowing everyone to get the medical benefits. Now, I really appreciate... (more)

Please institute the one-pay system. Eliminate insurance companies. I want to go to any doctor I choose and I don't want that doctor to be required to be inundated with forms and high premiums. I have had enough of the insurance/pharmaceutical coalition. Dear President Obama please do something about this and disallow the all-powerful lobbyists and self-interest Congress members to continuew doing as they have been. MAKE A CHANGE!!! Thankyou. Respectfully, Judith