For years I have dealt with pain from my wisdom teeth. I've never had insurance or money to get them removed. The pain comes on pretty strong every few months. But that is not all. I'm 26 now and I fret that if something goes wrong with my health down the road I will be in a desperate situation because I have no savings. None of us has any idea what our health will be like tomorrow. We need a system that will take care of us when we need it most, because most of us do not have it made.

BC/BS Fed PPO

Thank you President Obama for all you and your staff do for our world. My grandfather was a pediatrician in rural eastern North Carolina where a good day of income meant getting a live chicken from a grateful patient. When he wasn't working in his practice, he was busy making housecalls that my grandmother lined up for those who couldn't afford or didn't know about going to the doctor. This was in the 30's & 40's. My grandfather died young, in his early 50's, of a heart attack. I blame fate that I never got to meet my... (more)

I have good health insurance (at a high price). I have Medicare. I can afford the thousands of dollars my prescriptions cost each year. But it makes me sick to see others doing without. PLEASE pass President Obama's health-care plan. It is time for change.

When my daughter was 4 years old, she was hospitalized for recurrent pneumonia several times. Often we would go in for a routine visit and end up being admitted. Because we were already in the hospital for a test, we were not admitted in the "usual" fashion. Our insurance claimed that we choose to be admitted and that it was not ordered by a doctor and therefor owed 50% of the costs rather than 10%. Despite letters from the doctors involved and multiple correspondences with the health care company, they would not budge and rather... (more)

My father suffered from diabetes and the associated conditions of high blood pressure and heart disease. My dad was employed as a driver delivering goods across the country. Because of his high blood pressure, he was not allowed to continue driving. His blood pressure remained high because he could not afford his medication. Once unemployed, he was not able to purchase any of his medications or afford surgery. After 3 years of uncrolled diabetes,high blood pressure, heart disease and untreated atherosclerosis, my father died at the age of... (more)

I am a small business owner in Florida, and my fiance and I were planning to have a child. Unfortunately she had a miscarriage, and ended up in the ER, but was released that afternoon. The procedure was called a D&C. We cannot afford health insurance. The bill for about 8 hours in the hospital for an out patient procedure was over 22,000 dollars!!! How is any middle class American supposed to pay that amount. We cannot afford to get sick, but whats even more depressing is we cannot afford to have a child. What if my fiance has... (more)

My son is unemployed. I cover his BSBC insurance. It is very expensive. He could never pay for it himself.

I'm a twenty-six year old mother of two young children, and my dad died in February of heart failure. He had lived with congestive heart disease for many years, and in many ways, his access to quality care extended his life. However, his last week of life, spent in the ICU, was chaotic and disorganized. Different doctors saying different things, no one offering to sit with the family and discuss options or to be upfront about life expectancy. Very few people communicated effectively with my mother, very few stopped to explain medications... (more)

I am a graduate nursing student and have been in the healthcare field for the past 5 years. Even so, after I graduated college with my 1st bachelors degree I spent 2 years unable to afford healthcare. It just seems absurd that hard working individuals, along with those who are less privileged are unable to receive what should be a basic human right, healthcare and the education to prevent diseases that may affect them in the future.

I Try to live on ss only.I am 70 years old and paid in for 43 years it sucks its only 985.00 a month, I get 14 dollars a month for food.I cant even pay the utility bills from month to month i half to beg at the church type places. I see non americans getting $1840.00 a month and with no kids and $400.00 a month for food.....Help us guys on ss please Thank you Dennis.

I am a student at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and during my schooling I have seen travestys of health care. For example at Shands hospital where I worked I saw people waiting hours in the emergency room to be seen for a cold. I have seen the homeless get every treatment under the sun and return out to the streets to not take care of themselves and hard working people without insurance get turned away. I also work at a retail pharmacy and everyday see people choosing what drugs they can afford this month. Senior citizens... (more)

I agree with our President, Barack Obama, concerning the requirements for health care reform. My mother passed away in 1995 from a rapidly growing brain tumor that was inoperable. Once diagnosed, she only survived for another seven months. During that time, she worried that her medical bills were too costly and that her family would endure more costly bills after she passed away. She should have been able to concentrate more on her quality of life instead of the stress associated with costly medical bills.

Dear President Obama, I am a sole practitioner attorney whose practice is limited to representing children in child abuse and/or neglect cases. I cannot afford health insurance, so all of my medical expenses are paid out-of-pocket. This March, I became violently ill and needed to go to the emergency room in the middle of the night. I spent approximately two (2) hours in the ER - my diagnoses was either food poisoning or a virus - and my bill for those two (2) hours was approximately $4,000 -essentially the same amount of money I earn... (more)

My Daughter and soninlaw have no health care because they can not afford it and my 16 yeardold grandaughter but they will not go with out if I can afford to help them/its one big ripp off today!

My employees canot afford the part of the health insurance I offer, so they go without. I have repeatedly shopped for lower cost to coverage and cannot find any group policy cheaper. I am a very small business, most my size do not even try to offer coverage.I feel so badly that I cannot do more, but mI am scaping barely by in this economy.

I live in an area that contains some of the "best" health care in the country ie Shands but....it is virtually impossible to find doctors who are caring on a personal level. Patients are just experiments or grant papers to them. They perform extensive tests whose prices are ridiculous and then fail to share the results. I had a flu shot at my physicians office last fall. I was charged for the vaccine and then again for it to be administered. I could have received the same vaccine at my local pharmacy for half the price. They... (more)

Back in the 1960's in Burlington,Vt there were(and still are) four hospitals in the region - all four investing in(as of that time) latest technology to compete with the other three for patients. That situation exists here and now in the Gaineville, Fl area and is made even worse with availability of "Custom" scanning facilities. I doubt that any of these facilities are using their equipment in a good amortize-ation format. But what it means is that the charges for the use of the equipment is probably higher than it need be if the... (more)

Although I am fully covered by a combination of Medicare and a state retirement connected supplemental policy, by oldest daughter (in her 50's) has no medical coverage at all and I have to help her buy her meds and pay for doctor visits. My younger daughter's family pays about $5000/month on a COBRA policy that has a $4000 deductible. They have a son who has a chronic kidney problem that could eventually result in full kidney failure. He is currently 14 years old and worries about what could happen to him. I can't see any reason why a... (more)

My little brother didn't have to Die! My little brother Eric is the prime example of what is wrong in America. when the market crashed so did his business of swimming pool construction and sales. Along with that came the loss of health insurance. Eric was sick and couldn't see a Dr because of no insurance and when he did see a Doctor it was only because he had to pay cash. He couldn't afford expensive tests, scans, etc. so he tried to manage his health the best he could. but he was sick and just continued to decline. Excruciating... (more)