5 years ago, my husband became ill with a very rare disease (Aspergilloma)-- The cure involved surgery and a one-year recovery period, as well as some very expensive experimental post-surgery medication. The total cost was $300,000 -- thank God we had insurance!If we hadn't had insurance, we would have lost everything. At the time this all happened, we both expressed hope that one day EVERYone would be able to have the medical care they needed without the added burden of worrying how to pay for it, as it sounds like your Mom did. Keep up the... (more)

I have a daughter with Cerebral Palsy and a son with Autism and as children living in the United States of America, I cannot get health care for their preexisting conditions. In this great country why not them!

A friend of mine died at age 60 of a curable cancer because he had no health insurance and he and his wife could not afford the cost of treatments. He was a fine man and his loss came too young.

Before I tell my story , I must first mention I just watched a documentary by Michael Moore, called "Sico" which is about the state of US health care. Its an eye opener. The greatest , most wealthy country in the world, is #33 on the list of affordable , fair and firendly , health programs. . I am 62 and reasonably heathy. I consider myself lucky to live in California, because I am eligable for a form of health care called "Medi- Cal" and is only available in CA. I know people who have no health care or have Medicade... (more)

I am disabled and cannot afford my medications. I would like to see equal access to health care for all citizens. I have spent time in New Zealand and wonder why they have a better health care system than we do when we are supposed to be the richest country in the world and are supposed to be the leaders of progress in the world!

More than anything I want to see our country have a government managed health care choice for all citizens, sort of like Medicare.

When I was laid off in January of 2007, my COBRA coverage would have been over $900 a month. Due to health problems,I was not eligible for less expensive coverage and I could not afford to continue my pre-existing coverage. After 2 years of waiting, I now have a less extensive and expensive private plan. Waiting two years without medical insurance was stressful and should never have happened. All Americans deserve inexpensive and comprehensive health care coverage for themselves and their families.

I was on COBRA after electively leaving my job to return to college. They kept changing the due date, similar to a credit card company, and within six months, I missed a due date by one day, and they canceled my insurance. That was three years ago this month (May 06). I have been without insurance since, and, having graduated from college last year, no job so therefore no insurance. I am a diabetic and I do take insulin twice a day. I pay cash for this and all my prescriptions. Every month I wonder where the money for my prescriptions... (more)

I am a senior citizen with only medicare to guard my health. Trying to pay supplemental health costs, especially dental care, is almost impossible.

I have a child with Autism. Literally none of the co-occurring health conditions relate to Autism are covered by my current health care plan.We spend more per capita than any other country and yet a large majority go uninsured I believe health care is a right and the best health care should be available to every American from birth to death.

If you want a strong economy you not only need good jobs--you need incentives. Millions of Americans would rather work part-time, just to keep their medi-cal insurance. Why? Because it's not worth it to break your back at a full-time job only to pay high premiums and deductibles to medical insurance companies. Here's an example... Eight years ago I had an appendix operation which would have cost us $25,000. My wife's employer based plan would have reduced that cost to $5,000, but she had been laid off two months before my operation--her... (more)

I was struck by a car and have not been able to work for two years. The insurance (SF) offered me $2500 for all of my pain and suffering. Not quite the same as two years wages. With health care I may have been able to go back to work and assist in the support of our beautiful country. President Obama is our greatest hope and I, for one, support his efforts to help American citizens attain what other civilized countries have considered a basic human right. We support your efforts Mr. President and God Bless You and God Bless America.

My husband is currently unemployed we are having to pay Cobra on our meager unemployment. We are unable to afford insurance for myself at all. Which ultimately puts us at risk for possible finacial devastation. If we do not carry this expensive Cobra Policy he can be refused future insurance as my husband has a pre-existing condition. There are millions of stories like these far to many to ignore the issue any longer. Personally I believe that like Social Security Issues that have been to long unresolved perhaps the solution is to remove... (more)

When I was forced to retire because of health issues I could not afford to keep my health insurance because of the high premium costs.I was forced topay out of pocket what I could for about q year and half.Luckily being a veteran I was able to qualify for health care,and I only have to pay for my prescriptions and not doctor visits or lab tests and other tests.Being on a limited income this is most helpful,but what about the 46 million people who have no coverage? Mr. President the majority of the American people have your back covered.I'am... (more)

My wife is in her mid-fifties and has no health insurance. She has health problems that we cannot afford to treat and she suffers because of this situation. We are both struggling to keep our part-time teaching jobs, and attempting to stay positive about the future. We fully support Pres. Obama's efforts to create health care reform.

I found that our U.S. Medicare ( a SINGLE-PAYER system ) really worked well when my mother became ill with cancer in her left lung. Because of my mother's income status, ALL the expenses were paid by Medicare for diagnosis, treatment and medication. While the cure ultimately killed her after six weeks of intensive & pinpoint radiation therapy (her body = her choice of treatment), our family never saw a bill as EVERY COST was paid for by a single-payer plan from the U.S. government. In fact, our biggest expense was food and vitamins. ... (more)

I suffer from a rare disorder know as Arnold-Chiari Malformation. This is where the brain stem is lower on the brain and the medulla are inside the spinal column and herniated. This is impinging the flow of spinal fluid to all of my nerve endings throughout my body. I can list over 20 different things that this affects, however just to name a few; This causes numbness and tingling in my hands and feet; Ataxia (loss of balance); blurred vision; excruciating headaches and swelling of the brain. I have had brain surgery, but I also (as commonly... (more)

I had my twins when i was 23, but was still too young to imagine the horrible possibilities. My water broke 8 weeks early and my daughter's umbilical cord came out before her. 15 minutes later we were at the hospital via ambulance. An emergancy C-Section and 20 minutes of CPR saved her, but she spent the first 30 days of her life in intensive care. Because i was poor at the time, i have 0 debt. Every single dollar was paid for by our public health care (Medical). I've gone to back to school and got a BA degree, i own my home now and i am... (more)

I believe all health care decisions should be between only you and your health insurance bureaucrat! After you get turned down, no matter how flimsy the reason, shareholders make money! What could be more Republican than that?

My full-coverage Medi-cal ended two years ago and was told my monthly co-pay would equal the amount of my income over the poverty limits. I am a single mother of two, work full time, work side jobs and have not received any child support payments since my children were born 7 years ago. One month's co-pay would take me 8 months to pay off as just under 97 percent of my income goes to bills. It's extremely rare for me to get sick but if I needed to see a doctor, of which I do not have, I would be financially ruined. Just four days after... (more)