I am a retired teacher from Western New York and nearly my entire monthly social security check goes for paying my continued health insurance from my former employer, as well as paying Medicare from it and my local school and county taxes. I worked hard for 33 years and should not have to have this burden but I am still holding my head above water, whereas many are NOT. Health care has to become a choice and competitive; no longer can the companies rape us with their costs and restrictions. It's long over-due for change, and that time is... (more)

My mother is currently being diagnosed with what may be cancer of her right breast. Her health care coverage is almost nil. We need health care reform so people in my mother's condition and other's of the same nature can utilize all the health care tools that can be offered... only if plans will "pay for it." Government control would be much better. That way we wouldn't have to worry about big corporations making decisions... government control will give control back NOT ONLY to the doctor but THE PATIENT! Joel Coughlin

We are retired teachers. Our daughter is an artist with limited income. If we were not able to pay for her health insurance premiums, she would have no health care.

I am a registered professional nurse that has seen too many incidences throughout my career of people whose life is affected by lack of health insurance. The patients that take their medications every other day in order to save money; the woman who does not get her mammogram because she doesn't have the copay; and then finds out she has breast cancer; etc. I am also the patient; a 49 year old woman with systemic lupus. Where a significant amount of my salary pays for the copayments for my many medications. The significant amount of time... (more)

My husband and I own a small business and are therefore responsible for purchasing our own insurance for ourselves and our children. We pay a lot for minimal coverage. Heath care reform would help to ease this burden not only for us, but for millions.

In Western New York, almost everyone knows someone who has lost their healthcare benefits along with their job. The Stimulus funding and the Unemployment Insurance extensions have helped our community a lot. People seem to be more hopeful, and slowly our community is mending. Our healthcare system, however, is a huge barrier to economic independence. Many small businesses can't afford to provide healthcare insurance for their employees. Many employees forgo health insurance because they can't afford the high premiums. Healthcare should be a... (more)

My son is 35yrs.old and none of his jobs will provide him with health insurance since he was dropped off our policy at age 23. He earns his way but is unable to afford insurance. Isn't it time we remember that WE ALL CoUNT, not just some.

I have been lucky, all my life I have work for state government where healthcare benefits have been provided. However, I come from a community where many employers have cut health benefits to worker because of the high cost; forcing many to go without. This has push many into emergency rooms and eventually costing taxpayers more.

I have had type 1 brittle diabetes for 50 years,have had two strokes,which I fully recovered from, have asthma,osteoporosis, and am battling badder cancer. I have had to receive 6 transplants in the past six months. Even though I have multiple college degrees and am a member of Mensa,yet I cannot work because if I lose my health care coverage; I die.I also suffer from pain so bad from all the bones I've broken that I am on morphine 3x daily. I am on medicare and medicaid but cannot risk working because there is no safety net of health care.... (more)

Due to the situation at GM I will be going back to work in order to assure health care for my husband. Retirees in this economy are no longer assured the benefits they worked for and paid into. We've lost our dental and eye care, I cannot risk our health coverage being dropped. My husband moved here from Italy at twelve to have a better life. Now it's Italy that has the better life. Their government assures them health care and pension benefits. It's very sad.

I am retired, 60 years old, and paying almost $500/month for health insurance. I am currently able to make the payments but who knows about the future? We have a social and ethical responsibility to make sure that all people have access to quality health care.

Thankfully, I have no nightmare to share. However, on a regulare basis, because of the plan we have, I have to make choices about what tests I want to have done. If my thyroid levels are within normal, but at the high end, do want to have a CT scan, whech my doctor recommends? No, that will use up some of our allowance, and we may have an emergency at any time. It's not just the absurd cost of insurance that is the problem. It's the cost of care, and the red tape it takes to find out what the cost is! Every aspect of our healthcare system... (more)

I ran a small business for 20 years. The first 10 years or so, I paid increasingly high insurance rates for my staff. The rates were indiscriminately raised every few months, or basically whenever the insurers chose to bring in some more money. Staff rec'd limited benefit, really, since they were young and healthy for the most part. I eventually had to stop offering health insurance to my employees because of the high cost. Though many continued to work for me, they did so without insurance. A managed care organization once explained to... (more)

I think I've done a lot of the right things, the things that people are supposed to do to get ahead in life. My family wasn't able to help pay for my college education so I started at a community college before transfering to an ivy league university were I was supported in part by fellowships and scholarships (but mostly loans). In the year before I started my doctoral program I was between jobs and I wound up (admittedly through my own foolish decision to jump onto a moving freight train and then jump off again) breaking my cheek bone.

I do not think health care is expensive, but it is just not in the budget of most Americans. If we are employed and the employer provides benefits, unless they are free, we get home with very little pay.....if they are free than the choice is often limited to "in network" providers. Of course I want "my" hcp and I do not think it is good to pay cash for services directly but ok to pay via a card. May individuals could pay into an insurance company based like the green dot card with a match of anywhere between 20-50% If... (more)

I have two daughters that are not covered by health insurance. I worry that they are not getting medical exams that are critical to women to maintain their health. I am a breast cancer survior and know that my daughters should be screened each year but they can not afford to go to the doctor. I help them as much as I can but I am retired and my money is limited. I pray everyday that one day they will find a job that might have health coverage or that they get paid enough to buy coverage.

My oldest sister on workman's compensation approximately ten years prior to reaching age 65 in 2005. She chose to continue with coverage tied to her Workman's Comp Plan as opposed to accepting full medicare; however, to sustain coverage she doesn't appear to have complete freedom to live as she choose. My sister must be in New York to see certain doctors that Workman Comp people provides. The doctors and their location are constantly changing. My sister feels compelled to follow their lead to ensure the medical coverage. In addition, she... (more)

Medicaid has recently informed my pain management doctor that anyone on medicaid can no longer go to his office. I really would like to know why, as I have chronic back, hip and knee pain and they do excellent work.

When I started working for the company Caplugs in Buffalo ny,I paid approxx 20.00 per week towards my healthcare,had three choices tofor providers,now the company is probly going to china we all fear are jobs every day we go in we only have one provider now and I pay 84.oo aweek working to hard for insurance compnys that just are profiting off of are hardships its just wrong I will no this just about money and not people its just wrong my father instilled somthing in me as a child People are more inportant than money.I believe in you mr... (more)

Mr. President, As a former Canadian family doctor now living in the US, I would like to warn you about the perils of government healthcare. Under such a system, Americans would be prohibited from seeking and obtaining the level of quality that they choose. This is why a fair number of Canadians come to the US to pay out of pocket for and obtain the kind of healthcare that they deem necessary for themselves. For example, the very prominent Canadian politician Belinda Stronach came to the US and paid cash for private cancer treatment at the... (more)