I am a 43 year old male with Type 1 Diabetes. I test and take at least 3 injections a day. I also take medicine for high blood pressure and cholesterol. I have also had about 6 or 7 laser treatments on each eye for diabetic retinopathy. I have worked all my life and always had health insurance provided for me by my employer. In 2003 I was laid off as a field operations manager working in new home construction. I was forced into becoming self employed as an independant contractor with no benefits. I made several attempts to find affordable... (more)

I worked in a congressional office when healthcare reform was attempted in the 90s and killed by insurance companies. I've seen negotiated contracts for construction workers be more about controlling healthcare costs rather than what a worker can take home and spend. Costs are out of control. I still can't understand when we spend more than any other country that there is still a discussion about raising taxes to pay for universal healthcare coverage. We spend too much now. We need to simply work on how to allocate it correctly. ... (more)

My daughter has rhumatoid arthritis. She was diagnosed at age 23. She was a single mother raising her own daughter. Her father is disabled and does not work, so he cannot help her. She lives out of state, and is on disability, but it does not pay for all of her medication, or all of her daughters regular medical bills. I work a full time job, and try to help my daughter and grandaughter with their medical needs above and beyond what she gets on disability. My husband just got laid off and I am carrying him on my insurance. I make enough for... (more)

I have a sister that is currently uncovered and taking a huge risk as she's not very healthy. I will be without insurance next year for about 4 months until I am eligible for medicare. Of course if either of us need medical care during our uninsured periods, we will be forced to go to an emergency room, which will end up costing taxpayers even more than it would if we had a single payer, national health care system. We have a golden opportunity right now, that may not come around again, to fix our broken health care system. If not now, when?

I found it very difficult to find a Primary Care Provider after I retired at age 70, and still have not really found one.

There have been times in my life when even though I had a job, I could not afford the premium for health care. Now that I am getting closer to retirement age, I am concerned that I may not be able to afford the health care premium once I retire.

I am a single mid 40's male that works 2 jobs to keep up with the mortgage, car payment, food, gas, etc. Health care for me is just too expensive so I go without. I hear all the time how important preventative care is such as prostate screening and it scares me not being able to do those things. I already know I have a irregular breath problem and was told I need to see a specialist. I can't afford that. The company I work for is a small company and cannot for to offer health insurance. When my friends in Canada tell me how they... (more)

My husband has not had health care for over 10 years. We simply cannot afford the premiums. My employer covers mem but children only have coverage due to a state assisted program, CHP+. Even with this coverage for the children it doesn't even cover the recommended twice a year visits to the dentist. They are only allowed to be seen once a year. How does that help to prevent costly procedures? Your guess is as good as mine. It breaks my heart to see my husband suffer with back pains, night sweats, etc. When he goes to the clinic for people... (more)

I am blessed with a job as a teacher. I want the families of the children I teach to have the basic necesity of affordable healthcare. Nothing would please me more than to know all parents could have that peace of mind for themselves and their children. In addition, I would also love to see dental care as a part of the package!!! Even with my insurance I cannot afford the work I need to have done.Dental care is very important and I just don't hear enough about it!

Dear Mr President; I work I have health care threw my work but it covers just about nothing. Now that I am 64 doc wants to run tests like an ekg. But it's not cover as well as most other test he feels I should have like a colonoscopy. I was making $12.25 an hour not much. This last month they cut it to $11.00. I can't afford those test and keep up my mortage and I can't imagine what would happen if I really got sick for lack of these test and end up in the hospital. How would I ever pay for that. My company has no sick days and I know my... (more)

I had a heart attack in January of 2007, the hospital gave me a charity case letter saying my bill balance was $ 0. I was extatic, I was in the hospital for 2 weeks. however my DR. Billed me, & i could not pay him. I since have been receiving SS Disability & soon will have Medicare, for $96. a month, taken out of my $1900 per month. I feel im one of the lucky ones, but then I dont know how I can afford a cardilogist & any more hospital visits if or when i have to go back to a hospital visit. i dont see an answer to my problem. I... (more)

I'm okay. I have health care. But far too many others don't.

I am semi-retired now, but while I was full time in the workforce, there were times that I had to change doctors because of insurance changes made by the agency for which I worked, insurance premium increases, or the insurance company would no longer serve that particular group (in this case, it was city/county employees). The one part of healthcare that is really a larger problem than most people realize is dental. Dental insurance is costly, and the consumer does not get adequate coverage. Such procedures as root canals, implants, and... (more)

I dont have any. I do not have Health Care Im pushing 40yr old and its just cost way to much. Will all the other cost Health Care is just to much and I can not afford it. I dont make over $50.000 or more to afford health care. It beginning to be that only the rich and well off can afford health care and if you dont have health care to bad. Just go to a dich and die. I know that is how health care people treat those who have no Insurce because that is how Im treated and when I had a roommate she was treated. Like we where low lifes or not worth... (more)

I just can't explain enough on the number of patients return from my pharmacy without their prescription medicine due to a rejection on payments from their insurance company due to many reasons such as:drug not covered on plan; drug not formulary; drug requires prior authorization from the doctor. The bottom line working people with insurance should be able to get their medicine. As a pharmacist I feel helpless to see patients unable to afford their medicine.

I am losing health care coverage on June 5th because my husband lost his job. I am legally disabled due to a severe back injury & on many medications. I am also bipolar, I will not be able to afford my bipolar meds, nor my pain management meds within a matter of weeks. I have been trying to find a job, despite my disability (I am not eligible for ssdi because I havent worked & was on ssi most of my life for bipolar disorder) Money is very tight, we might even lose our apartment. we also have an 11 year old daughter. this is scary for... (more)

I'm a teacher, so that tells you right there how much money I make to begin with, and I pay over $1000 a month to carry my wife and children on my health care policy. I do have very comprehensive health care and when I was diagnosed with testicular cancer 2 years ago I was glad to have good health care. The problem is my wife and I have decided to make sacrifices so she can be at home with our children and that much is too much even for good care. We could be living much more comfortably instead of from month to month. $1000 is way to much... (more)

Honestly, healthcare is quite expensive. However that is not the biggest problem here in America. There is a big need for jobs. STOP sending our work overseas, PLEASE! 10 dollars an hour to start out as a mechanic or skilled technician is way below a fair wage. I feel that if you pay Americans more per hour the economy will fix itself. These ceo's get the benefits of us hard workers! The last thing a lot of us can afford is a good health care plan. We spend our money on houses that we cannot afford and cars that cost to much. It is like... (more)

I like millions of other U.S. citizens have no health coverage--at least none that will cover a doctor's visit, x-rays, medicine. I have worked all my life, found & lost jobs, tried to save some money with minimum success and somehow made it to retirement. Now, if I am ill I can't afford a visit to a doctor since I'm on Social Security. Why does it seem that the United States feels the obligation to take care of every other impoverished country yet can't serve its own citizens with a quality and efficient health-care system. Is the... (more)

Singler Payer. Get rid of for-profit health care in the US. Get insurance companies out of health care. Cover everyone.