My Dad needed bypass heart surgery, but he wasn't comfortable with the hospitals in his network. So, he used an out-of-network hospital that specialized in cardiac procedures. This decision to get care from doctors he was comfortable with cost my Dad more than an addtional $10,000 out-of-pocket. Thank goodness he had the resources, but most Americans don't (including me and my family). Choice of doctors is critical under any plan, and so is managing costs so that people don't have to go into debt to pay their health care bills. Please help.

I am a Canadian Citizen now living in the USA.I have been here for eight years. Last October I started having some difficulty breathing.My walking and climbing stairs was becoming more and more difficult. I thought it was my alergies,the pollen situation in Atlanta is grave. It got so bad I decided to go to the Docror. I am 67years old and have no health insurance. I decided to go to Toronto for a check up. It turned out I had a mass on my thyroid. This was drained and sent to the lab for testing. I came back to Atlanta. The Doctors advised me... (more)

My husband lost his job 4 months ago, and although he worked and paid taxes prior to that we were unable to insure him under the current COBRA, we had to make a choice to either pay our mortgage or pay the insurance, that is not a fair choice a family should be face with especially if you worked and paid your good share of taxes year after year, people should be able to have access to health care whenever they need it, without having to worry that if they do that they will be living on the street. Please reward the good citizens that work and... (more)

Healthcare reform is vital to Americans, My husband and I do not have health insurance and can not afford to get it. My husband is recently unemployed, but when he was working, we were forced to pay more than $450 per month for insurance. My husband is ill right now and he can not afford to see a doctor

My frustration comes when the insurer does not cover costs that they should and the insured is forced to prove why the company they have been paying each paycheck needs to abide by the policy. If the insured does not spend hours on the phone,hours faxing documents, time and money mailing artifacts to the company then we receive in no time a threat to sue by the medical office.

I am paying over 150K due to insurance companies. In fact, I had Cigna and BCBS

As an Employee of the city of Atlanta I know the need for Health Care Reform. Our group cost has escalated to the point that employees can not afford group coverage. This is truly a sad state. Coverage for my wife and I is so expensive that we had to reduces all other expenses to afford the group coverage. Is there and end to threes escalating prices. Will congress finally act? This issue is the single reason that I have not gone into business. This issue is crippling the economy.

My mom scrubbed floors for upper middle class people all of her life. She never had insurance and she died after battling emphazema for a few years. She could not afford the treatments and was reduced to home care as she could have afford it. I think health care should be universal across the board for everyone. Maybe the constitution should be re- written to include the right to bear arms, free speech and the right to healthcare?" I glady give a portion of my pay to help others who maybe are not as healthy or need assistance.

I am so tired of the insurance companies cutting cost trying to play doctor. Most ot their personnel have little or no medical background but they think they know more than my doctor and denigh or limit coverage. We need a national health care plan that circumvents the health insurance industry. All they are is a bunch of greedy bastards that take our money and give us little or nothing in return. I am 47 years old and I have purchased my own health care insurance for over two decades and have never been satisified with service or... (more)

I am 67 years old. When I was 60 yo I lost my full-time job, and a part-time job too, leaving me without any health insurance or income. I could not afford the Cobra insurance because I had no income coming in. During that time I landed in the hospital 3 times, creating enormous debt for myself that caused me to have to file for a "medical" bankruptcy due to all of the medical bills I ended up with. It was the first time in my life that I ever went without any health insurance, and I got wiped out financially because there was no... (more)

I am GA State employee and several thousands dollars when I had my baby with no complications. A rountine ultrasound was $500.00 pegged as a out of pocket expense.

I 23 years old and I work in a small dental office that does not provide me with and insurance at all. I live in atlanta and I make about 9 dollars a hour and that barely pays the bills so I can't afford to buy my own insurance which means i have to take care of myself the best way i know how.

My daughter is in graduate school and has had a very difficult time affording health insurance. What does that say about our country. We have lived in small developing nations who do a better job than we have done recently in the US. Change the system!!!!!

My name is Cawana Jackson I am a single mother of two great boys 13 an 8 years old I lost my job Dec.26 of 2008th from the City of Atlanta due to budjet cuts so I had to get on foodstamp and medcaid for my boys but I can not get any health care for myself because they said my unemployment was to high for me so they gave my boys medcaid an not me so if i get suck i have to do with out so what every I need to do help the president let me know

All Americans should have the right to affordable and dependable Health Care. So many insurance companies are charging high premiums and denying the claims when the member's have ligitimate claims. So many people pay thousands of dollars per year and when they need the coverage the most, they are hit with the small print. I am a injured Registered Nurse, who has been denied access to the benefits that I paid for. I have a herniated C4 - C5 disc and from the MRI found out I have Arnold's Chiari Malformation. I continue to have... (more)

My parents and my in-laws both have required medications that are rather expensive.Both my father and father-in-law have Veterans benefits, however, my mother's hours and pay were reduced and my mother-in-law is retired. I'm covered by my husband's insurance and mostly use his insurace when I go to the doctor, I am lucky I do not have ailements that require monthly prescriptions, but I am of child bearing age and that's another whole story.Long story short my mother uses the VA's insurace, my husband works for the government and I use his... (more)

I am a 68 year old retiree who has worked all my life and find myself at this stage of my life unable to afford healthcare. I desperately need dental and can't afford it. I am scared all the time because I have peradontal problems and can't afford the cost. My emergency visit to the hospital cost over $2,000.00 and medicare has declined payment because they say it was not a necessary visit. I had an infection from a broken tooth and medicare says the visit was not necessary. I feel my health declining and I am very concerned. I've applied for... (more)

I am a single female age 42. I do not have health care insurance at this time because of the rising cost. I was recently with BCBS of Georgia. I could no longer afford insurance because every year the monthly premium was raised. I allowed my insurance to lapse one month and they would not reinstate me because they claimed I have a condition with my back. I was going to the chiropractor at least twice a month sometimes only once because I am a basketball official and I often got adjusted because of all the pounding that my back and joints... (more)

I had to cut back on my health care because I can't afford the high deductibles. Now I only will go if it's an emergency.

I was scheduled for a followup colonoscopy last year, but due to the $2,000 deductible I needed prior to the procedure I was not able to have it. I generally practice preventive care but I am having to go without tests due to lack of coverage with my policy.