As a physician,I have personal experience in the areas that we can improve and expand care while bringing down the cost.Too many patients go to different Emergency Rooms and to different Doctors for the SAME COMPLAINTS which result in DUPLICATION OF TESTS WHICH DRIVE UP THE COSTS OF PROVIDING HEALTH CARE.There are also too many patients in need of health care but WAIT UNTIL THEIR DISEASE PROCESS IS TOO ADVANCED BEFORE SHOWING AT THE PHYSICIAN'S OFFICE OR THE E.R.BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY THE BILL.

I'm a middle age woman with a heart condition, that has lost 3 siblins and parents at a early age. I cannot afford health insurance, and becaus eof it my health condition is going without treatment. Their is no reason we as American should live or not live like this. I pray that Congress will find ways to implement affordable insurance for all people. It sadden me deeply to have lost three siblinm before th eage of 50 because of a heart condition. If their a way to help please help us in America and developing countries. Thaank you for... (more)

i know several people that cant afford to see a doctor,and i feel everyone is entitle to see a doctor if they are sick

Curently working part time without coverage. I think health insurance should be as affordable as auto insurance an should be up to the private citizens to purchase their own insurance and up to the government to work with the health care industry and insurance providers to provide such affordable coverage. Thanks

Health care is very important to me. My grandmother, grandfather, and uncle died from cancer. Health care should be lowered so other people can receive adequate treatment so they don't suffer the same fate.

I am so tired of my company changing insurance providers in the name of reducing costs. Every time they do it we have to change our primary care giver.

We are struggling to keep our three boys with health care coverage. On our jobs, the insurance rates are just too expensive to carry them. So because we are a few dollars out of range our kids could lack insurance.

My wife runs a small durable medical equipment company. She has been doing work for medicare for years. Recently, DME companies are required to become acredited to continue providing for medicare/medicaid. This process is geared for large DME companies and is very difficult for a small business. The cost for the process is in the thousands of dollars and puts a strain on small business income. Also, there are several physicians offices who supply DME to their patients. These physicians do not have to go through the acreditation process... (more)

We must wean ourselves away from the private-profit-at-any-price propaganda and recognize the value of public services like education and health care. Since Ben Franklin we don't expect the owner whose house is on fire to pay for the fire brigade, likewise people disabled by sickness should not have to pay to get well. Those are services we all might need, well equipped as only a public service can be. HR 676 will extend Medicare to serve everybody that wants to use it, Private insurance is still an option.

I work 45 to 50 hours a week but my employer cannot afford to furnish helth care for me or my staff. The insurance companies are criminals. FIRE THEM and allow me to have the same insurance that you have that I am PAYING FOR.

I am a 56 year old registered nurse and I have no health insurance since I am self-employed. The cost of carrying insurance independently is simply too much on the salary I make through my home based consulting business. I have no health problems, my blood pressure is low, I am not overweight and I have never been a smoker. Yet my premiums for health care would be exorbitant simply because of my age. I am afraid to go to a primary care practitioner for regular checkups for fear that if something were found to be wrong and I did get... (more)

I am 46 years old and I have a full time job in Mississippi. However, I am not able to get health care that is affordable due to an existing condition. I have a disk problem where my last two disk in my back meshed with my tailbone. The Dr. said it started in the wound and I am in constant pain daily. My job has a basic insurance plan that requires me to pay the first $1000.00 each year I need to have an MRI done but was told that I need to meet my $1000.00 deductable before getting the test done. I don't have $1000.00 dollars saved up so that... (more)

RETIREING AN COST IS TO HIGH

Myproblem that I am having is tha tI have no health care. Everytime I try to get some, the premiums are too high for me to afford. My husband and I are getting old and at my work they have no health care plan. I cannot afford health insurance with my income, and with my husbands income. We have morgages to pay, with everything that is involved with living expences. I have been looking around to find some resonable health care insurance and cannot find any that is affordable. I am still trying to pay for my education, for a job that does pay... (more)

I am a 69 year old femail who have COPD. I had this problem for 10 years and it has been very hard. My medicine cost and i'm paying out of my social security check up to $200.00 a month in addition to medicaid. I had to go back to work with all my health problems so i could afford my medication and a place to live and eat. at 69 years old i have to stand on my feet for four hours a day through a Senior Citizen program to get money to live. Please help us!!!!!!!!!!!

My wife is sick soooooo much. After three back surgeries from an accident at work , has left her in a mess. her nerves are involved and she gets migraines often. I am a musician and no insurance. The only insurance we had was my wife's insurance.Mediical bills have piled to no end and frankly I dont think I can ever pay them off. This is my story!!

I had always carried health insurance through my employer, until the deductible was raised to $5,000; now I am carried on my husband's insurance plan which is for state employees and far more reasonable. (Federal employees also have excellent coverage, which may leave Congress ignorant of what the rest of the country is dealing with). I have had a living nightmare dealing with a "Wellness Plan" which was to cover a free colonoscopy at age 50. Though I followed protocol, some coding error resulted in my being charged for the... (more)

Until 4 years ago I was able to work and pay for what ever medical problem came up. 4 years ago while traveling as a passenger in an "Isuzu Rodeo" I was in was hit by a truck that the State Policeman estamated the speed to be 110 mph. Since then I have no way to pay for my own medical needs. The doors are closed where ever I check for aid. Health care is way to costly and I was never taught to beg...I am in Mississippi, a stste that seems to not care about its people, yet the people keep helping the "GOP" stay in office.... (more)

This issue has been important to me since the mid--1960's, when my grandparents became ill and Medicare/Medicaid first appeared. Since then, the all-too-typical challenges of your children, aging parents, and a steadily worsening private insurance market have only increased my interests, along with my commitment to saving and to systemic change/reform.

Everyone should have access to both preventative/wellness care and medical for sickness, equally and completely...children through to seniors.