I am a social worker with a Masters Degree and a hereditary bleeding disorder. My last few jobs have been with grant funded, non-profit organizations, which have not been able to offer me medical coverage. My attempts to get private insurance have been denied due my pre-existing condition, which I was born with and is actually little more than an inconvenience in my day to day life. I beg, borrow and plead to get my annual prescription for birth control renewed, and then pay for that out of pocket. I have not had health coverage in over 5... (more)

Nearly everyone in my immediate family lacks health care coverage, including me. I respectfully ask the Congress to stand with me and President Obama to address this grave and very real problem. I don't want to be bankrupt because of an illness, and I can't afford to take on the medical bills of younger brothers and sisters - or even my parents. I'm a college student trying to make it. Help us.

When I had to pay monthly insurance premiums out of my own pocket (because my employer did not provide health insurance), I had to raise my deductible to $10,000 a year to afford the premiums! That was at least 10 years ago--I would hate to think what the deductible and monthly premium would be now!

* As a recent college graduate I began working as an appliance salesman at Sears. About six months into my job, I hurt my knee--an injury that required that I have surgery and lengthy physical therapy, in addition to limiting my ability to walk the sales floor and interact with clientele. Although I did have insurance, the 20% of the medical costs associated with my surgery along with my inability to work profoundly influenced my personal finances for several years. I think a national health plan will not only lower the cost of health care... (more)

My husband is a Col in the Air Force and I wish EVERYONE IN AMERICAN had our health care!!! (Tricare) We have never had to worry about losing a house/property due to illness or accident. We've always had excellent access (including overseas). I think our national health care system should be modeled after the military. Our non-military family members have unbelievable worries and expense over their health care.

I'm almost embarrassed to tell this story because I'm not one of the millions of Americans who are struggling to pay bills and take care of their families because they are unemployed or underemployed. I am a gainfully employed, considerably healthy, college professor with no children and no one to support but myself. I have the state and school employees health insurance plan for the state of Mississippi and just today had to refuse service to have a routine check up done becaue for the fourth time since I've visited a doctor, I was asked to... (more)

As a registered nurse, I see the effects of our health care system almost everyday. Working in the hospital, I see and hear patients struggle with the cost of health care. Not only do patients have to deal with their illness, they have to worry about everything from the cost of that one pill they will have to take everyday, or the cost of that expensive ride to the x-ray department to have a test done. While one or two days in the hospital may not break the bank, patients who spend weeks or even months in the hospital risk depression,... (more)

I am currently a full-time student and mother of two toddler girls. I am 24 yrs old and unemployed. I currently do not have health or dental insurance for me or my kids. I have recently filed an application for Medicaid but I have not been approved yet. I personally wish that health care was more affordable for people on a budget.

My son was a micro-preemie, born 15 weeks early, and just because of a vision problem due to ROP, he was turned down for private health insurance (the company was "Golden Rule.") I worried about him and disabled children all over America, those whose disability falls short of what the Social Security Admin will accepted as "disabled" and yet not able to get a good enough job to qualify for group health insurance. I hope Congress will please remember the vulnerable among the country's people. How can we consider ourselves... (more)

I retired at age 62 due to multiple health problems. One third of my retirement income is spent on health insurance premiums, medication, and doctor visits. I'm fortunate enough to have insurance, but I know many people who simple can't afford it. We need help now. Thanks for all that you are doing.

Currently, I am a college student with no health care coverage. The health care that was offered to me and others like myself was way too costly. It cost the same as rent and I had to make a choice between the both. A place to live or health care coverage should not be a choice that any American should need to make. Prior to going to college I worked for 12 years at the same company and still could not afford health care insurance. One day I fell ill and needed emergency surgery which cost me $32,000 out of pocket. I am still working to... (more)

I just moved here from Canada and can't believe the difference. While I have coverage at my work, it's still unbelievable how much out of pocket expense is required. And for those with no insurance, it's unbelievable. I have students who can't afford to get the medicine to pay for bronchitis, then they end up in the ER with pneumonia. America deserves better than this.

As a husband and father who works full time and attends college, struggling to pay for health care for my wife and kids is a regular source of pain and frustration. This country needs REAL health care reform, so that all of us can truly achieve the American dream. It is both unfortunate and immoral that so many in the United States of America can not afford effective health care. Please, no more sleepless nights, take action now.

I am a single mother of two who works full-time, and my children abd I can't afford to get sick. Insurance premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket expenses, and uncovered expenses are sky-rocketing. I can't afford not to have insurance, but I can barely afford to keep it.

My husband and I had the opportunity recently to start a new business .... with the commitment of one very large customer we were able to start living our American Dream... Unfortunately this meant giving up the health care insurance with my previous employer... my husband and 19 year old son ,both have hypertension... Our family was denied coverage by 4 of the largest insurance companies for this reason... I started to panic.. We couldnt afford to cobra at 1000.00 per month.. finally we secured a catrostrophic plan for half that amount...... (more)

I am a Mississippi attorney. I represent whistleblowers in qui tam lawsuits brought on behalf of the United States to recover damages caused to the United States under the false claims act. While I am successful in my practice, I have bi-polar. When I describe my remission from the symptoms of bi-polar to others, I compare it to having high blood pressure: "If I take my medicine I have no symptoms". However, if I do not take 5mg of Abilify daily, I have delusions. It costs about $400 per month to fill my Abilify prescription,... (more)

I am a small business owner, one of the many who make up the bulk of today's employment in the US. When I started my business 6 years ago my wife started working for a local news paper mostly to cover health insurance. A little over a year ago an opportunity came within my business for her to join out small company. It is a dream to have a family business that out children can eventually join in. The number one risk we face is a lack of primary healthcare. We are self insured with a catastrophic policy for major medical issues. However,... (more)

i work for a small business,with no insurance available.i make very little money and can't afford to buy insurance on my own.i have numerous medical problems and just have to suffer.i have to pay my mortgage,because if i'm on the street my health won't matter that much.

I am a single person with healthcare, however, it is not adequate for the healthcare most "39" year olds need. I have a deductible of $2,850 before my insurance will start paying the rest. Sure I get reimbursed after paying the initial $300, but I still have to pay up front each time I go see the doctor, and on a salary of $24,000 a year it is just not plausible. The single people of the U.S. should have some benefits/rights that would apply to them just as they seem to for most families. I am urging the government to take some... (more)

I've broken my leg because my landlord removed a safety rail from a set of steps. I'm one of the very few lucky American citizens to be insured, however, because of the circumstance the hospitals and doctors are refusing to honor my insurance. Instead I'm filing a lawsuit against my landlord in hopes that he has insurance. Meanwhile, I'm stuck at my house out of work and out of money to pay for day to day living expenses while the doctors tell me that I have to come up with a $6000 dollar down payment before they will see me. So much for the... (more)