In 2002 I had a roll-over accident in my convertible that left me paralyzed from then neck down. My wife worked for big pharma and I was insured through her employer. After 3 months on life support, and another 3 in rehab, my unpaid medical bills spiraled over $1 million. My wife lost her job because of the time spent caring for me. We exacerbate all of our savings on COBRA and discovered that we had to loose everything to qualify for State insurance to get the supplies crucial to my existence. Now I'm fighting to keep my State insurance... (more)

Right now I have a cracked tooth and not enough coverage to take care of it on my own! The cost of health care is out of control! --David Goldner

I'm unemployed and will be losing union health care coverage in November. Because of my medical background, I don't expect to be able to get individual health insurance to replace it. I honestly don't know what I'll do, except as so many of my friends and colleagues have done recently - join the ranks of the uninsured and hope to stay healthy.

I am 62 yr. old healthy woman widow, have never had insurance. I want the insurance companies to stop make health care a business for profit. Also the pills I have to take for seizures and thyroid are so expense I can barely afford to buy them but have to.

As an independent artist, health care is a luxury. The nature of freelance work precludes a predictable monthly income and access to affordable health care. Recognition of the plight the artist community faces and some kind of financial break would enable many to pursue the art field. Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion.

I can't afford to add my "domestic partner" onto my employer provided health care because the federal government figures in the cost to provide my partner with healthcare as income - my paycheck becomes significantly smaller when the income tax is adjusted to account for this. Therefore, he receives not-so-good health care at the free clinic, waiting in long lines. A series of injuries then impacted his ability to find employment (he broke his jaw, it was wired shut and removing the wires severely weakened his teeth; he then broke... (more)

My mother is 69 years old and she just had surgery for gallstones. She has MediCare and it did not cover the entire cost of the surgery. She had to pay $565.00 out of her pocket because MediCal did not cover this amount. Because she is retired she only receives $1000.00 from Social Security. She lives in a converted gargage and she attempts to make extra money for her medication by sewing. She makes alterations for the neighbors. I feel that every American should receive quality care. Her surgery was done at a community hospital that was... (more)

I am a 52 year old long term survivor of a life threatening disease, now a gainfully and happily self-employed middle class American. I am on the HIPAA plan and I pay much more than others with the exact same coverage with the same provider. My costs for insurance, co-payments and prescriptions exceed that of my mortgage and car payment combined. (And that does not include dental or optical.) I feel like I am being punished because I have health issues. Please help me, I sense I am being exploited for the gain of others just to stay alive and... (more)

the quality of life of all human beings is imperative -- health care is a human right

Health Care for Profit is completely unsustainable. We cannot afford, especially with the massive deficit this country is holding, to pay for costs for healthcare above the actual costs of care. We must have government hospitals and clinics where people can go that Medicare can cover.

Dear President Obama: I stand with you absolutley. I am tired of paying through the nose for insurance and fighting with my insurer to pay my health care claims. I am chronically ill with HIV and with the medicines I am healthy and have a T Cell hogher than most "normal" people. The cost of those medicines without insurance is over $3,000 a month. So I am blessed. Why are the drug companies allowed to make these gigantic profits and then ask for tax relief. Enough. James Hallahan, Los Angeles CA.

I am without teeths for about 2 years.This is totally embarassing and it doesn-t represent the face of America.It represent the face of India. Are doctors lasy or we don-t have enough doctors?.

My friend Mike was a dedicated attorney for the State of California, married to a teachere. Mike to retire recently. At his retirement dinner in March, he suddenly suffered a stroke. Since then he has been on a long, slow road to recovery. He is now in a nursing home, and even after insurance, his expenses are far more than his family can afford, despite the myths about public employee benefits. Mike's colleagues are pitching in to help ends meet, but I can't begin to imagine how devestating this would be to someone with less resources.

In my opinion, Health Care should be a citizen's right. The research done on this nation's population as a whole, from cadavers, to medical trials, make any beneficial results the property of the State. Those trained to administer remedies, or perform procedures, should be paid a fair and fixed rate. The same can be said for pharmaceutical, or scientific firms developing viable drugs, remedial processes, or diagnostic equipment. There should be no middleman, making profit off the care of citizens. It's antithetical to the Hippocratic oath.

My mother, age 61, suffers from debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, making it difficult for her to work a normal schedule at the United States Post Office, where she has been employed for for more than 30 years. A new medication for RA has been introduced but, even if it helps her, she won't be able to continue the treatment. The health care plan offered by the Post Office won't cover the $1,000 per month co-payment. My own health care costs are high. I had to pay out of my own pocket for a breast biopsy last year. It turned out to be... (more)

I am a preschool teacher with a Master's degree. Due to the lack of remunerative value placed on my chosen profession I have never earned enough money to afford health insurance. My health care needs are met out-of-pocket or not addressed. In this country, in this century, this is an embarrassment. Do the right thing - tackle the elephant in the room, and create the plan that supports all American citizens' health and well being by making AFFORDABLE heath care available to all.

My girlfriend and I are young working class Americans

Being the daughter of a Nurse, and watching my mother, Miss Lindora Johnson, work her way from a Certified Nurses Aid to a Registered Nurse in itself is a fulfillment of and American dream come true. As proud of my mother as I am, I am also disappointed in America's health care system and how it had changed from being about the patient(s) to being about the doctor(s). Today Momma has health care issues that should had easy been resolved but due to carelessness in the past these issues still need to be addressed properly. To call my mother... (more)

Hello Mr. President Obama, * Nearly 47 million Americans, or 16 percent of the population, were without health insurance in 2005. * Released by the U.S. Census Bureau in August, 2007, there are approximately 13.6 million single parents in the United States today, and those parents are responsible for raising 21.2 million children (approximately 26% of children under 21 in the U.S. today). * Nearly 90 percent of which are headed by single mothers. * 27.7% of custodial single mothers and their children live in poverty. * Only 6% of single... (more)

Well, I love the phrase health care even though it was denied me for the past 25 years. So, other than you taking spiritual care of yourself, I really don`t know what it means. If you`ve never been denied such, like I was, chances are, your own tale might be juicier than mine. Since UCLA denied me emergency dental help about maybe 15 years ago, I realized universal health could one day fix things up for all of us. Canada and Cuba showed us the light. Let`s make it shine here too!