As a nurse, I have long been amazed at the prices charged for goods and services in the hospital. These high costs are definitely not being translated into higher wages for nurses, doctors, or ancillary personnel, but instead results in a high profit margin for pharmaceutical companies, and insurance companies. We are breaking the backs of taxpayers by caring for indigent and the working poor who are unable to pay the high premiums required by the private insurers, as a result too many are walking into our emergency rooms for basic care.

I have been a licensed insurance agent for 25 years and see every day the need for health care for all Americans with too many left behind. This is the humane way to treat our citizens - care for them.

We've operated a small business for 8 years now. Because health insurance costs are so high we've had a high deductible plan for years. Now that the economy is doing so poorly, my business is suffering and we are postponing medical exams and treatments to avoid costs - when we do get these treatments, I am afraid the costs will be higher and/or our conditions will be worde because of the delays.

I know too many people right now who are out of a job, inbetween jobs, or working part time but multiple jobs, who have no health insurance. As long as health care is tied to employment, full time employment, too many will be without care. I would support a health care tax, that we all pay, that would help to insure that when we are jobless, or can only work part time, that we are guaranteed some health care. Everyone employed should pay this tax. And everyone should be eligible for health care, regardless of their health status. I do... (more)

I've been a single mom with my own sole proprietor business for most of the last 20 years. That meant no money for health insurance for 15 of those years. Today I pay for insurance and it is the single largest bill next to my mortgage. My premium is now $445 a month; I'm never sick, have never made a claim and live in fear that I'll actually need the coverage because even though I've paid out $25,000 in the past five years, I would be on the hook for 20% of all expenses were I to have something happen. When an accounting error occurred... (more)

I'm 26 and i work two different seasonal jobs so I don't have health insurance. I also snowboard and do other riskier activities and I am in constant fear of being hurt because I have no insurance.

This is actually my parent's story. My father retired about five years ago. When he retired health insurance costs for he and my mom were about $200 per month. Since then they have risen each year. Even though my Dad is on Medicare now, their health insurance costs almost $1000 per month. My Dad has gone back to work to be able to afford this.

I will try and make this short. I have been sick for 5 years now and no one knows why. My kidney filters filter all my protein out of my body. Then my body starts to eat itself looking for protein. I want to make sure you keep choices available. That is so important in our medical community. If I didnt have choices I would have died. I found mold in my house last year and had to remodel the entire house without my home insurance covering it. I had mold insurance but not flood insurance and the water came in from surface water leaking... (more)

I have a chronic illness and am the adoptive mother of two children with FASD. I feel like the fortunate one because I have private health insurance. However millions of Americans do not have the luxury to know their family and loved ones are safe. If we had health care for all, we could begin to educate and prevent the only curable disease known to mankind, FASD. We had to leave the state of Colorado to receive our childrens diagnosis. We were fortunate to have the ability to do this. We spend more than $100,000 out of pocket to give... (more)

I am a 50 year old African American male, I personally have health care, but I know to many people from my neighborhood who have gone without all of their lives, their only healthcare is the emergency room at Denver Health, the standard of care at this hospital is low in my opinion because I think they are overwhelmed by the numbers, I totally agree with you from your debate with Senator McCain last year where healthcare should be a right and not a privelege of some.

My daughter developed Corea and Rhumatic fever as a child, at the time of the onset she was cover by my health insurance. I've since retired and had to switch to a new health care HMO. She currently is being treated at her college campus clinic but will graduate in December 2009. Even if she finds a job immediately that provides health insurance it is doubtful that she will be covered. Her father and I have been searching for a provider who will cover her, and we are willing to pay the very high premiums they are requesting, but even with high... (more)

I am self employed and have to pay for my own private insurance. As our insurance premiums rise every year we have been forced to increase our deductible to keep our payments relatively affordable. From both my experience and research on health care and health insurance, my findings are that the insurance companies are not so much the problem as the pharmaceutical companies. Insurance companies only have a 3% margin while the pharmaceutical companies margins are in the double digits. The margins the pharmaceutical companies make... (more)

As a medical student I am extremely excited about being a part of a new generation of doctors that will be play a significant role in the success of our new system. Many times I considered not going into medicine, not because I am not passionate about the science or the people, but because of our broken system. Since electing President Obama, I now know that I have made the right decision in pursuing a career in health care.

my health care cost went from 498.00 per month to 710.00 in just one and half years a 48% increase, at this rate i will not be able to afford health insurnace.

I teach for Denver Public Schools. Any bonus' I made with ProComp is neglible considering the rise of 15% for my health insurance.It's over $500 a month now and I can't go to the specialist of my choice when a need presents itself. On the other hand, I'm still working, over 65, and reluctant to retire because of the cuts the administration might be making to Medicare. It's a vicious circle.

I have experienced first hand the waste and inefficiency in the health care system. Nine months ago, I had a routine bladder infection over the Labor Day weekend, which required a visit to a clinic. My insurance company has still not paid for the visit although my primary physician insisted that I go to this clinic. I have spent hours and hours trying to get this bill paid, and it's small by most standards. The system doesn't work and needs to be reformed!!

A friend, age 34, with 2 small children, recently had a brain bleed with no insurance. It has ruined his familie's life!

This year I almost died while on vacation. I am only 40, an elementary school teacher, and I have two young children. I was born with a heart defect which became serious very quickly. Luckily, we found an excellent cardiac surgeon, and I am recovering well. Equally luckily, we have very good health insurance through my husband's work, so a $500,000 surgery which would have bankrupted us ended up costing us about $4,000. (Note that under the current system, the hospital ended up accepting a fraction of the total cost due to their contract... (more)

Several years ago when my insurance company was no longer going to carry my plan, they gave their policy holders several months to find another plan. I was declined by every insurance company because I had had several episodes of skin cancer. It was the less serious type of skin cancer and when it was taken care of I was perfectly fine. I also am very proactive about my health and as a result very healthy. Never the less, I could not find an insurance company that would take me. Finally after months of resubmitting applications and... (more)

Young adult children cannot afford health insurance today without a job that provides it.