My husband and I are civil rights attorneys. We fight for reform with every case we take on. In 2006, I became too ill to work. I have chronic Epstein-Barr virus, which causes me severe body pain, extreme fatigue, and "brain fog" -- symptoms very similar to fibromyalgia. When I lost my job teaching in a law school, I also lost my health insurance. So, I had to go back on our law firm's health insurance, which had different health care providers than my health insurance with the law school had. Now, we pay over $1900 a month for... (more)

As a retired army officer I have no problems in affordability of medical care; my problem is that the medical community is more concerned about their income rather than the quality of the medicare they provide1

I am a retired Registered Nurse and I cannot tell you how much health care has changed (not for the better!)in my career. Somehow big business got involved and they have wedged themselves between the patient and his physician. I believe the slippery sloap was the advent of HMOs. The welfare of the patient should be the motivator NOT the bottom line. Good luck to you and I pray daily that God will carry you in the palm of his hand. Thank you for all you do.

My mother has had this hernia thing for about six months. She has not been able to get help for it--she needs surgery and I cannot afford to pay for it out of pocket. Personally, I have a good health plan through my husband, but my mother is a divorced person on medicare and is still unable to get the care she needs.

My sister-in-law died Saturday. She was 60. She had diabetes and COPD. What she didn't have was health insurance. She was able to see a doctor occasionally through her local health department and we helped with her medicine. She needed regular care and monitoring. With adequate medical care the outcome could have been different.

My Nephew died by Suicide because he was tired of the pain and decided he would be more valuable to his family dead than alive (rotator cuff tear - he was a drywall finisher and had no insurance). FLORIDA Today was kind enough to publish my Guest Editorial re his death and the lack of affordable health care and insurance on 22 September 2004. My Son has Schizophrenia, is currently in a "for profit" Mental Health Hospital under contract by the state of Florida and was taken off a medication - his condition has deteriorated since... (more)

It is OUR health care story. The U.S. should be the foremost country in the planet to have the best care for its citizens. NOTHING IS FREE IN THIS WORLD, we all will need to pay for it one way or another as it is in France, BUT health care IS available. Almost fifty million people have no health care available.Our representatives in Washington have the best care and they "work" for US!!

I have a condition called optic neuritis. It is under controll at the monent. I am also a small business owner. I have my insurance through that company as a small group. The biggest problem is I have to stay in business to keep my insurance. It will not comvert to an indivial policy, needless to say the cost of an indivial policy would be prohibitve. As a 58 year old woman I pay $450.00 per month for an HSA with $3000.00 out of pocket.

Health care has risen so high we are considering dropping our insurance so we can pay our house payment and feed our family.

My father was in a horrific car accident due to someone else's mistake. The bones in his shin and ankle were crushed and the only way to keep his foot was through a surgery that had proved successful on non-weight bearing bones, but his would be one of the first on a weight-bearing bone. The insurance said this was experimental and advised they would not pay for the surgery and would only cover amputation of his foot (never mind how exorbitant the future costs to them for assisting an amputee). My parents had to dip into their personal... (more)

My friend who is a single mother has to keep on working at a job she hates in order to have healthcare for herself and her children.

I am a type II diabetic. Many times I have had no health insurance and my greatest fear is having an emergency that would wipe me out financially. What I don't understand is how companies like Liberty Medical or these mobile wheel chair companies are getting away with ripping off the American Health Care system. Can we not weed out this fraud and save the money we spend on these companies. No wonder we pay twice as much as any other country for our health care. We have four times the fraud!

I am an EFL teacher, almost 60 years old, and I often work at universities overseas. While in Thailand last year, I was chasing a thief; and I fell on the pavement, ripping open my arm and shattering my arm and elbow into 13 pieces. The 14-hour operation there cost me $10,000, depleting my hard-earned savings; and I was unable to work, so returned to the US. I searched every option imaginable, both in Massachusetts and Florida; but could get no medical help anywhere, privately (pre-existing condition) or publicly. I finally spent an... (more)

Our health care industry is controlled by the insurance and drug companies, because we allow them to contribute to political campaigns. This has caused at least half of every health insurance dollar to go for other than medical care. We can greatly reduce the cost and improve our lives, as other industrial countries do, by using natural remedies instead of expensive patented drugs with their side effects.

I haven't had any health care for many years. I got a second job to get some health care. I lost my first job where I made a little better money. They all of a sudden went out of business. I have healthcare that I can't afford. I can't afford the co-pay. I am affraid of the dotors and meds. My husband has been layed off. I need care. I am scared to death with what will happen next. Gina Dampier

I had severe malpractice where I have permanent disability. The insurance company Drs. covered up my problem until the pain became permanent. Insurance companies only care about profit and don't care who they cripple or kill. They have no business being a middleman between patient and Dr. THey do nothing but increase the cost of health care while reducing the quality of care.

Although I have a good job, the company that I work for is not able to help with family health care costs. I have worked my tail off, and recently earned a $7,000 annual increase. I had to add my husband to my health care plan (because his company doesn't offer it), and as a result, after a $7K increase, I ended up with $19 less in my paychecks every two weeks. Uggh.

My sister contracted fibro mialgia around nine or 10 years ago. She and her husband both worked in the same industry (telecommunications) which took a severe turn downward. The lost her job first. Then they put her husband on a subcontract basis and eventually he had no work either. They have been without medical coverage for the most part since then due to the cost and his on again, off again, employment. She has gotten progressively worse as she has not been able to afford doctor bills nor the presciptions. Her health has continued to... (more)

Dear Mr President I lost my husband a two months ago and also lost my health care, cobra for me would be 344.00 dollars a month. I cannot afford this since I am on a fixed income now,plus I lost both my jobs I had .Unemployment is a joke I went on the first extenion and they told me Iwould be losing 7.00 dollars a week instead of giving you more ,they take it away at least here in Florida they do. I am in central Florida my checks come from tallahassee,maybe the President should check this out to. Our country is a mess.

My husband is a 13yr. Army veteran, then we both worked for the Dept. of Defense in Germany. Now back in FLorida we can not get the quality of care we recieved from the military or from the Dr.'s in Germany, and let's not get into cost!