Aa friend was snake bitten and had no insuance. The hospital cared for him, but he is still being chased for the money. He is 61 years old and makes $5000.00 per year. He cannot afford to pay for the care given him. Yet it worries him that he cannot pay his bill.

I'll thought I'd be brief but I seem to have gotten wound up....sorry. As Sr. citizens we are on Social Security and are lucky enough to have a small pension. Our total gross income last year was $38,771. Of that amount, $13,793 came out of our pocket for healthcare. That includes health insurance ($8102 for the yr.),Pharmacuticals ($2843.75),Drs, hosp, labs, were $924.92 and long term care insurance was $1982.82 for a total of $13,792.92, leaving us with an income of $24,978 for the year. Two years ago it was worse as I had a knee... (more)

I have not been able to work for about 5 years now because of my health. Two years ago my now ex-husband became ill and could not work. I finally put in for disability last year and it is presently in the appeallet state. Could take up to 2 ye4ars before I go before the judge. I am needing a serious surgery, but have no way to pay for it, can't even see my doctors because i have no health care. There are alot of us in this kind of position. Something needs to be done.

I am a school nurse for mentally impaired children in a rural area. Dental care has improved but still has a long way to go. This is just one of the many obstacles faced by people who are already struggling in many other ways. Add pain and suffering to.....pain and suffering?

When my husband and I married, I was a college student and he was working as an industrial electrician, making enough money to support us. In 2007, he was injured on the job. As of May 2009, he still is facing more surgical consults, still on Work Comp and now his employer's insurance, which covers our family, including our son, will be leaving at the end of this month. They have a limit on the length of time they will cover a family when Worker's Compensation is involved. I understand that. They want us to make Cobra payments until we... (more)

I am a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist,who sees family going thru a tough economic time.I see their struggle daily and it breaks my heart.They have lost insurance and the cost of medication is so high.The same goes for the elders,who are on tons of medication.Thet spent more money on meds than food.Please Mr Obama do something for these families and i believe we really need a major health care reform.

I REALLY HAVE TWO STORIES TO TELL. FIRST OF ALL, I WORK IN A HOSPITAL IN PATIENT ACCOUNTS AND I SEE HOW BADLY THE LACK OF HEALTH CARE AFFECTS PEOPLE'S LIVES EACH AND EVERY DAY. HOW SO MANY PEOPLE ACCESS OUR ER DEPT BECAUSE IT IS THERE ONLY ACCESS TO A DOCTOR AND THEY CARE THEY NEED. MANY OF THEM HAVE NO INSURANCE AND EVENTUALLY END UP IN COLLECTIONS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PAY THEIR BILL AND THEY MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY TO QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID. I ALSO SEE PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE INSURANCE BUT CANNOT AFFORD THE HIGH COINSURANCE OR DEDUCTIBLE. IT IS... (more)

I'm on Social Security Disability. By the time all of the deductibles are taken out, and I pay the supplementals and prescription copays, There is barely enough to live on if I am extremely conservative. I anything major happens to me I suppose I am financially ruined. I am sure that I am not the only one but the system is flawed to the point of ruination. Please revamp system and make a new start on the right foot.

I had to give up my job at age 55. I was on my husbands insurance until he retired. Then I got supplemental from Country Companies Life Insurance. It raises every year. I am now paying $502. every quarter. Better than $2000. a year and that is besides Medicare. Then at the beginning of the year Social Security mail said I would be getting $62. I got $8. Oh, by the way, I was denied disability insurance when I had to give my job up. So I had a retirement plan & lived off that thinking I would surely not live beyond 70 1/2 years old. I am... (more)

Hi, I received temp. Medicaid dental allowance for 4 months which carried a $4oo. a month spend-down. To cover the spend down they combined my payments for medicare and my medigap insurance. I was thrilled because my teeth are in horrible shape. My dentist charges amounted to more than $7,ooo and more charges for oral surgery at 275 $'s a tooth (I have 21 teeth left) plus office calls, trips to the oral surgeon, cost of a temp upper plate and then perm upper and lower dentures. The closest Dentist and only one in area who would accept... (more)

In 2005 my wife became suddenly very ill and had to be rushed to Harrisburg Medical Center. It took 1 hour and 20 min. for the Doctor who was in the hospital and on call just to take the time to leave his office and come to the emergency room to check on her. I truely beleive it was due to the fact she was uninsured. My wife has worked as a C.N.A. for the same nursing home for more that 30 years, due to the low pay of both of our jobs we can not afford health insurance. It turned out to be an obstructed bowel and she needed surgery. She spent... (more)

It is cheaper in other countries. Unless U R rich there is no way you can afford healthcare and insurance is a rarity. When my kids were young I had to choose between getting testing strips for my son to check his blood sugar or buying enough food to last until next pay day. I couldn't afford the sharp ultra needles so his shots wouldn't hurt so bad. This was all stuff he needed to live and I couldn't afford it without a trade off for something else. This was years ago and it is even worse today. I don't know what ot think of this country.... (more)

I can't efort to go to my doctor because I don't have any health insurance it cost too much,

Two years ago I went for a colon test, they found cancer and had to operate the next day I could not find a doctor that was in my health group because no one would sigh up for health link. I had to pay out of pocket, my first concern was what would this do to my family on cost.

A close friend of our family was severly injured and eventually died from his injury. As a young man attending college part time and working part time he wrestled with his ability to afford health coverage, finally deciding he couldn't. We always wonder if the care he received in the critical hour or two after his injury was affected by his lack of coverage and a differnece in the outcome was possible. In any case someone will pay for the bills that were incured and it won't be him.

my father is 52 years old, and has diabetes. he's worked

I am diabetic (type 1 with an insulin pump, controlled) and my husband is diabetic (type 2) and we both have side effects of this disease. We have not always had enough money to but all of our medications, and had to cho

My husband and I are self employed grain farmers in Southern Illinois. We paid for private health insurance untill 2004 when our premiums jumped to almost $1000 a month with a $2500 deductable on each of us, family of four. We were still paying out of pocket for doctor visits and medicine having never reached per year deductable. We've been without health coverage because it was more cost effective to pay when our children or one of us were sick which isn't very often. Last May 2008 I was diagnosed with breast cancer!Our income varies year to... (more)

I am a RN in Illinois, I see the elderly forsaking seeking car until it is too late. Or the elderly is forsaking medication and treatment for their disease processes because they can not forsee paying such an expense when they have to put food on the table. Also, please remember we have a lot of elderly that are taking care of grandchildren in their later years and have to meet their needs. Please see that this healthcare reform remember the elderly not just the middle age. Everyone should be entitled to healthcare and insurance should not... (more)

I am a 56 year old female unemployed with only my husband's insurance. He has a $2,500 deductible per person annually on his policy. The Prescription coverage is even worse. If it is a generic I have a $20 copy per month, non- formulary 35% of cost per month, and formalary is 50% of costs. As I have different issues and have 10 medications that I take daily and unfortunately even after trying to get as many generic as possible, so far this year my rx bill is over $4,000. I still have almost 2 months left, hopefully I won't get the flu or... (more)