As a student, I need affordable health care!

My wife and I are both in our mid/late fifties. My wife's insurance is nearly a quarter of our income. If I lose my company insurance one of us is going to have to go without. It is imperative that something be done soon. Its far more economical - and fair - to fix it now than to let it keep getting worse.

When I was out of work, I had to buy my own health care and could not afford the better coverage of my previous job through COBRA. I could not get any check ups. I was extra careful. I was worried all the time that something would happen and I would not be able to cover it.

I really want to start my own business, but the price of individual Health Insurance is so high, my dream is impossible to achieve.

Pre-existing conditions exclusions means profits stand in front of morality!

Right out of college I didn't have a job right away so I needed to pay for an individual health insurance plan. I was paying close to 250 a month which is pretty expensive when one has no source of stable income. Temping isn't exactly a stable money maker. On top of that I went in to the doctor for my annual exam and had some tests done in as a purely preventative measure. Little did I know I would get penalized for getting tests done to make sure I was healthy. I got hit with an 800 dollar bill for that visit. You would think insurance... (more)

I Marsha Moore urge you who sit in the power we gave to you to put your full support behind our president. Though you may not hear from us all believe me we are watching many of us are at dismay and scratch our heads how after you were not in power this president ran on making a change for the people we voted for you as well to back him up and make those changes come true. Let me tell you of the horrors many americans suffer and will continue to haunt them if you do not act to pass the presidents healthcare bill and support him. This is my... (more)

Living with only a catestrophic policy every day can create a lot of undue and unnecessary stress in your life. Heath Care is a Human Right for everyone. I need more affordable choices for all heathcare versus "in case I get hit by a bus" healthcare

Years ago the company I worked for went out of business. As a single Mom, I could not afford the Cobra payments and went without Healthcare for over a year. It was absolutely terrifying!! I lived in constant fear that I would become ill or injured. I once again have a job with health care benefits but my employer has increased the deductible every year. While I am grateful for the benefit, routine medical tests are a financial burden. I am very fortunate compared to many, yet I would never think of leaving this job for fear of being... (more)

I would like to add that the system needs to be simplified. My mother was diagnosed with kidney cancer two years ago, and she was thought to have spots in her throat and lung. There was very little coordination of testing (potentially, resulting in unncessary tests). There were approximately 6 different doctors involved, and the only quarter-backing was attempted by the oncologist. Thank goodness he did because my mother was able to avoid having part of her lung unnecessarily removed. Throughout the process, my mother was lost, confused... (more)

This is the 9th year of owning my own advertising agency targeting the Hispanic market. Finding affordable health care for myself as a small business owner has been impossible, and I could not afford to offer to my employees. I suspect a female over 50 is viewed as toxic to the health insurance industry. I was turned down by three large companies, all stating different reasons why they would not cover me. Luckily (???), Illinois has ICHIP (Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan), a state program administered by BC/BS. Every 6 months... (more)

My father, a Viet Nam War veteran and a construction work for the state, struggled to stretch his meager means to pay medical bills for my mother's condition until he passed away in a VA hospital. My mother, in & out of hospitals, shuttled from surgery to surgery for all the years of my childhood, is now relegated to a skilled nursing facility. A nurse from that same facility called me no more than a week after she was moved there to tell me about an unexplained bruise "just one inch by six, on her upper arm". This does not... (more)

My father was a rocket engineer, whose hard work helped launch the first manned orbited flights in the 1960's. He died in 1986. For several years prior to his death, my mother had to decide which of his prescriptions she could afford. Those she did buy came from Canada. My father is my hero. How about powerful lobbyists in Washington? Would they say my father is a hero? And what of millions of others worst off than he was, who have no insurance. Do the contributions of citizens to this great America mean nothing?

My three adult children were without health care for several years. I just praise God that they were not seriously ill or injured while uninsured. However, today they all have some form of health care. Their insurance is much better than what they use to have but they are paying too much for the little coverage provided. I am looking forward to affordable and quality health nsurance for me and my family.

Throughout my lifetime I only have had insurance coverage sporadically: 1) When I was a student in college, I had insurance coverage vis-a-vis my school/tuition; and, 2) When my husband scored full-time, permanent employment we qualified for group insurance coverage. However, as most Americans finally understand... full-time, permanent employment is not guaranteed, and a lot of employers are cutting back their coverage. Personally, I realize that I have a small window within which to get my medical, dental, and vision issues addressed, before... (more)

Gall stones. Had I not had my own private coverage at the time I would have been in real trouble. I wasn't in Scandinavia at the time, where I had been living. But, had I been, it would have been no problem at all. By being back in the States now, if they return I will be in real trouble since I have no health insurance.

As an Optometrist in Southside Chicago, I have seen too many cases of uninsured and underinsured patients who go without needed medical treatments. These conditions when not treated create significant costs to society as blindness and vision impairment requires these citizens to become dependent on government monies far exceeding what single-payer healthcare would cost. After campaigning on single-payer healthcare, it is greatly disappointing to hear it is "off the table."

I live in Chicago and work for public health. It is a blessing to have health insurance but when I needed it the most I felt as though I was a second class citizen and I work a 40hr a week job for the Co. government. I can't imagine others who don't have health insurance in this free country. I had a hard time receiving adequate health care relating to reproductive issues and was appalled that I've worked for public health in government for 15 years and did not have adequate health care. I stand with President Obama on his health care... (more)

I want to echo what Margaret (originally from Cowpens, SC) wrote about staying in a foreign country due to the woeful state of the health care system in the U.S. I, too, have decided to stay in a foreign country in large part because of a national health care program. I live in Tokyo with my wife and two sons. The universal health care we enjoy here is far, far better than anything I enjoyed in an HMO in Evanston, IL or as a state employee in Honolulu, HI. I am a freelance worker. For my family of four I pay about $3,300 a year. We can... (more)

While I worked as an independent contractor, I did not have any insurance. I finally decided to shop around for an individual plan. The first plan that I chose was sufficient for a healthy person with no issues at all. It was one of the only plans I could afford. Unfortunately, shortly after purchasing the plan, I found a lump in my breast. My insurance would not cover any specialist visits, or the biopsy that was performed. The lump was benign, but now I needed to either remove it or see a specialist every 6 months, something that I... (more)