Kidney Stones. Well, I forgot I had cobra, and I had to go to hospital. Well, without insurance the bill for four hours work was 8000.00. Which I was estimated 5000.00. So when I showed them my cobra they immediately got quiet and said well, "we have a negotiated rate with them", so I am sure they got it cheapter. I mean my eyes bugged out of my head when I saw 8000.00 for a little morphine and four hours of tests. WOW. I mean those hospitals are made of gold.

I'd left 'civilian' school teaching and landed in the CA prison system as teacher. When the window of choice for HMOs happened, I chose Kaiser. Kaiser, and the plan since that I'm with in Nevada has proven a godsend since we'd lost two houses to the recession making retirement income a bit niggardly. I won't pontificate, only say my health care has been more than adequate.

I worked for a "Mom and Pop" electrical contractor. For years, these very creative and intellegent people worked to try to get health insurance for thier employees, but they could never find a plan that they could afford. I finally chose to quit and take a job with a corporation that has health insurance. President Obama, although you are taking concrete steps towards controlling a multi-billion dollar industry that are driving up the cost of health care, these corporations have never applied one band-aide or cured one head-ache.... (more)

During the 1990's I was in graduate school with a $16,000/year stipend. I had a fellowship so fell through the cracks on getting university health insurance (HI), and couldn't afford much. Since I was a very healthy individual, for a while I had no HI. I got very ill one night with severe abdominal pain, vomiting etc and thought I had appendicitis. I made the mistake of going to the emergency room. They never made a firm diagnosis, but ran several tests, and kept me overnight on fluids since I was dangerously dehydrated. Since I didn't... (more)

I was born being allergic to everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. My mother tells me I was allergic to most foods and almost every animal while I was younger. As I grew older, my parents eventually received health insurance which was a blessing. I was able to receive the medical treatment I so desperately needed. However, after my dad left his position at Safeway a little over a year ago, my family and I lost our health insurance. As soon as it becomes readily available, I will purchase health insurance with my workplace. However, my... (more)

I am 62 years old. My job was outsoursed to Costa Rica and I lost all of my medical coverage. I am diabetic, have high cholosterol, and high blood pressure with vertigo. I have been looking for any job with medical coverage--but no one wants to hire a 62 year old. I really need medical insurance to help keep me alive. Thank You for your time. Caroll

I am a 62 woman with multiple health issues. A diabetic, had a heart attack and now have three stents in my heart and one in my right leg. Rheumatoid arthritis in one hand with a few other issues. When I was working my insurance did a very good job of taking care of me with little cost to me. However due to corporate downsizing I lost my insurance, did not qualify for medicare or medicade(unemployment money too high. I stopped taking some of my medications because I simply could not afford them. This has led to additional problems for me... (more)

NATIONAL HEALTH IS IMPERATIVE TO THE SURVIVAL OF OUR COUNTRY. Please, I understand that baby steps are needed in this case but even with the outline you have, a single payer system is the answer. A family surviving on $20K a year presented with the best "Choice" has but only one... GO WITHOUT CARE. Thanks for reading my rant. -Peter

I feel too young to even have a health care story to share - but i guess at 42 years old i'm not as young as i think i am. I have had recurrent episodes of meningitis and now have chronic migraines. I just got the word today that my retirement system has approved my application for disability. So i'm lucky. Just yesterday however, my daughter was diagnosed with a rare condition called syringomyelia. She will require spinal surgery. She is covered by our health insurance plan. So again, we are lucky. If i hadn't had insurance, my hospital... (more)

I payed over $3400 last year for a family of 6 all my kids are healthy and we try to stay acyive. The cost doesn't make sense for a family who is trying to stay healthy and eat right. I feel that the cost are too high for someone who is healthy and pay almost the same as someone who deosn't take care of themself.

our son, who served his country in the military 1995-1999 and was sent over to Iran in 1997,has now lost his job and currently unemployed..he has no health coverage now and is not able to afford any on his own..he has ulcerated colitis and is not able to get his medication,which just makes him so very sick sometimes...he also has a daughter which he is not able to provide healthcare coverage for..heaven forbid if either of them get sick!

My family and I haven't had health insurance going on three years now. We can't afford to go to even a walk-in clinic unless we're pretty sick. Recently, I came down with what I thought was a minor flu and at first I was fine and took some over the counter medication to heal my ailments. After a week and a half of being sick however, I told my mom it was necessary to see a doctor about my throat which was keeping me up at night with pain. When we got into the doctor's office and he took a look, he told me that I had to see an ENT specialist... (more)

There are TOO many cracks in the system, that even the people that should know, don't realize are there. There needs to be a basic government net that catches EVERYONE no matter what their circumstances. We need a government single pay system, that also helps people without income or low income that even $20 a month would take food out of their baby's mouth. The caps now of $15,000 or $20,000 or even $30,000 are too artifical and create cracks that people fall through. My story and the story of people around me would be the length... (more)

I am 58 years old, I had a stroke 3 years ago. I have no health care so I am not taking the medications that will save my life. Please pass the one payer health care system so my taxes will pay for health care or make it mandatory for health insurers to cover pre-existing conditions at a reasonable cost. Thank you

My son-in-law had a small business for five years and no insurance for anyone...too expensive! Now he has developed Fibromyalsia and has lost his business. He works part time for a small company who does carry insurance on him but my daughter still has no coverage. They have had their house re-posessed and the family lives here and there with friends and relatives. I want my president to stand up to congress and the insurance companies and offer a single payer plan. I can't back anything less.

I have been an RN for 36 years. I am currently a Case Manager in a trauma hospital-we deal with the bottom line-getting pts treated and out as quickly as possible. We have been seeing an extrodinary growth in "self pays - either working poor or indigent. We are going broke trying to support this system. People are coming into the hospital in critical condition. If we had a system to support all we would save money and provide better health care & support to all-young and old. I believe in preventative health care.

My husband is in the car business. I will be calling the business office of his dealership today to cancel the insurance on me. We simply cannot afford the payment. He recently had open heart surgery, still cannot work a regular day ( 12 hours in the car business), and he participates in his own coverage. People are still trying to buy cars, but banks are still not loaning money,so we can only afford to cover him at the moment.We were fortunate, his coverage started March 1st, and his emergency surgery was March 19, we recieved his insurance... (more)

I am an honorable vietnam veteran and served in both the USMC and USN. I'm now on SSD with a benefit of just over 1k/monthly and unable to afford the payments required just for medicare, let alone other health care plans. I'm fortunate to have medical care through the VA but the VA won't provide me with the additional care I need so desperately. For instance my teeth are riddled with deep black cavities and several are so loose and hurt so badly I can only eat soft foods that don't require much chewing. I only have 3 bottom front teeth and... (more)

I buy prescriptions from India because it costs too much in the USA

I wasted my younger years taking care of my children. After they grew up, one to be a pastor of our local church, and the other child grew up to be a leutenant in the local sheriff's department, I then decided to take care of homeless, disabled infants in foster care for 16 years. Because I didn't "work", I am not entitled to be classified as disabled and receive medicare prior to turning 65. My insurance premiums have gone up another $459.00 in the last 13 months,( because I turned 60years old) for a total of $ 1200.00 a month. ... (more)