I own a small business and pay for my own family's health insurance plus all of my employees. I pay for my employees insurance just because I think it is the right thing to do but it certainly costs me in terms of income, business growth and being able to hire more employees. Reduce these crazy insurance costs and I firmly believe there will be more jobs available nationwide. I know there will be in my business
I believe that health care is the basic right of every person living in United States. I have good health care and I think everyone else should also.
I have Chronic Fatigue and have medical appointmentss every week. I have good insurance, and am very concerned about those who don't have any insurance or are underinsured.
Our health care system that excludes so many people from basic care is unconscionable. Our very expensive system also has unacceptable results for the majority of citizens.
I am fortunate as a teacher to have health care. What disturbs me is that my daughters, in their 20s, are only able to access health care at an extraordinary cost. As a result, their plans are sub-par and they do not access the services that they should. We are the most advanced country in the world. We need to solve this issue. Teachers are forever being limited in their income because we are paid with public funds. The fact that we have health care is often criticized by taxpayers but that is another story for another time. It is time... (more)
our family is fortunate to be covered by my employer's health plan. however, the copays and deductibles we must pay sometimes stretch us beyond our monthly means. working in a cancer clinic, i see patients who base important medical decisions on their ability and inability to afford health care, rather on the quality of care. no one should have to go without or delay health care because of the fear of medical debt, and yet that is what is happening to families like ours and those i work with.
The cost of providing of health care plans for employees is a significant financial burden in the budget of the nonprofit where I work. With more reasonable health care costs, the organization could provide better benefits to staff and increase funding for our mission- literacy and learning for children and adults.
I am a 65-year-old woman, still working because I want to have health insurance. My only 2 daughters were diagnosed this year with breast cancer. I see health care providers spending inordinant amounts of time playing games to get the things covered that one daughter needs. My other daughter, married to a Canadian and living there, goes to providers, gets the needed care, does not have the stress of wondering if things are covered, never gets bills and papers of rejection. We must fix this system, where people with diseases are negatively... (more)
I am a union member whose employer has been paying more than $5/hr for my plain vanilla health care coverage for over 10 years.
My family has been blessed with good health so I have been a net contributor to the system. The few times we've needed care beyond doctor check-ups, the out of pocket cost is surprisingly high considering the insurance premiums being paid on my behalf.
I think there is a demographic of wage earning steady workers who are, through vagaries in how health insurance is sold and benefits paid out, bearing the brunt... (more)
I am a minister. Among my congregation are those who have lost health insurance because of job loss. When her husband retired, one member was no longer covered under his plan. She searched for an alternative. she was caught in the bind of too much income for available plans in Vermont but not enough income to afford her own coverage. Shewas forced to get catastrophic insurance which means thousands of dollars out of pocket. She is too young for Medicare.
I heard from Elizabeth Edwards on The Daily Show that of every $700 spent on health care in the US, $1 is earned by the CEO of her health insurance company. That is morally criminal. Get with it.
Listen to Howard Dean and Elizabeth Edwards.
I am a single mother of three children. I recently returned to the U.S. from Canada after a long absence and it has been a struggle to be able to meet the demands of health care payments. Even with a health care plan through work, a huge chunk of my monthly salary goes towards that insurance. As a single parent, I have to count every penny. This was never an issue when I lived in Canada.
I have many health problems that have been very expensive for my insurance. It is hard to know when a cost is too high. I generally think they are too high.
I had to put off having a double hernia operation for four years because I could not afford it. The hospital would not or could not tell me how much it would cost, so by doing some research I found a total figure of eighteen to twenty thousand dollars for the outpatient surgery. I got Blue Cross insurance, got the surgery, but have been slipping into debt trying to make the insurance payments. In the fall I had a colonoscopy (I'm clear) but the deductible is more than I can pay now. I've had to drop the health insurance altogether, and have... (more)
I spend close to $3,000 a year on health care costs due to a 10 year fight with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain. I had been out of work for 8 years and am now back to work but unable to work full time, yet. Due to the cost of health care, it is difficult to meet my bills and am working longer hours in more pain. I am not able to be the best mother I can be. It sickens me to think that in this great country we cannot do this one thing right. Our fear of socialism is stopping us from being a greater country and at times making me feel like... (more)
Poorer quality of care is my biggest issue. Costs are too high for all, as well.
My main concern is my son. He has mental health issues. I have coverage with my employer (UVM) Right now our Vt. state is having budget issues. The governor is not happy with the budget he has been presented with. He wants to make allot of cuts. I understand custs are needed, however, he wants to make them on the most vulnersable. Which means my sons benefits will be cut. Just in the area of dental. Very few dentists will take medicaid patients. I went to my dentist and begged her to take my son. I dished out $500.00 because the... (more)
Ten years ago at the age of 48 I had a heart attack. I was hospitalized for 3 days and amassed a bill of $42,0000+ with $8,000 going to the physicians and the balance to the hospital. I was uninsured at the time and spent years paying back a negotiated balance. It seems to me that you first consideration should be the citizens of the United States and not the Insurance companies, as the insurance companies have a vested interest in their own survival. If the insurance companies dictate a national health insurance policy it will not be to the... (more)
My family recently moved to Vermont from Georgia, in Georgia I worked for TimeWarner they have great healthcare coverage and we are all healthy so we didn't spend much on co-pays. It was about $190 per month and a $250 annual deductible for our family of 3 - I actually recall complaining about the price. Now, I would LOVE to spend only $190 per month on a family plan for healthcare. In the state of Vermont all applications must be approved by insurance providers, so most of the insurance providers have pulled out of the state and what is left... (more)
