When I was 15 years old I was diagnosed with type 1 juvenile onset diabetes. For the past 11 years I have learned how to care for myself and ensure my health. After Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the Gulf Coast I moved to New Orleans in an attempt to help rebuild this amazing city. I worked for two rebuilding nonprofits for two years, but with the slumping economy, I was let go from my position. Now I am faced with the problem of affording the expensive costs associated with diabetes while trying to still help in rebuilding... (more)

My wife has had an irregular heartbeat since she was a teenager. She is now 50. Getting her covered has been a struggle all of our adult life because of pre-existing condition exclusions.

I am a schoolteacher, and my wife is a small business owner. Unfortunately, the high costs of health care have delayed us having our own family. While comprehensive health care may not be a right, it is certainly can be provided to us, given our strength as a nation.

I have an MPH and currently work for a Public Health Department. However, because I am a contractor, health insurance is not available to me and I cannot afford to purchase it on my own. I KNOW the importance of being insured and still cannot protect myself.

I'm lucky b/c I have health care benefits through my employer but I know many, many young people that don't. They all are living on the edge w/out health insurance. It's a risk I once took as well and it's a scary one. Every time I got in the car I prayed that I would arrive at my destination safely b/c I knew I couldn't afford hospital bills. My boyfriend drives a Vespa around town without insurance. I've told him to find coverage but the rates are too high. This just scares me to death. What also worries me is that my parents are... (more)

Due to having cervical cancer in 1993-94, no insurance company will cover me. This has resulted in my having to forego any preventative care and kept me from being fully employed due to my numerous untreated health issues. I am positive that when I suffered cardiac arrest in December 2000, that if I had had health coverage I would not have undergone 8 cardiac thorasic wash out surgeries as well as the heart surgery that resulted in the secondary infection and two separate flap surgeries to try and fill the large hole they made where my chest... (more)

I am a 25 year veteran of HIV/AIDS; coupled an extensive medical co-mobidities including Stage 5 renal failure, anemia, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetics; complicated by a recent quadruple heart valve and carodic artery replacement surgury. Had I been provided adequate education and information on the risks from the side effects of my medications and on my unhealthy personal nutritural lifestyle, years past, many of my medical issues could have been prevented or at least their impact on my holistic health would have been minimized. ... (more)

My sister had what she thought was a full ocverage health care plan she and her husband purchsed in Utah, where they live. Four months later they were hit by an uninsured motorist in Texas, my sister's left arm was shattered. At the ER put a splint on her arm and told her she had to see a orthopedic surgeon, however her insurnace company denied the claim because she was injured in TEXAS not in Utah. It took five months to find a surgeon that would give her an appointment because she technically didn't have insurance. In the meantime her arm... (more)

At least 50% of the people i know cannot afford health insurance and have suffered accordingly.

I am on social security and medicare and am afraid of what I will have to pay of when I have to go in the hospital

In the wake of hurricane Katrina, I and many of my neighbors were dropped by our insurers with no notification under the presumption that we must have been washed away or something, I suppose. (The company claims they attempted communication via mail, but mail services were disrupted for several months, and the insurance company had not only my phone and e-mail contact information, but that of my family in Texas, as well, who were not affected by the hurricane, and no contact was made by any of these channels.) I did not discover my coverage... (more)

I have worked in our health care system for 40 years as a nurse.It is past time for a major change.All people have a right to health care that is affordable.

My husband has hemophilia and is uninsurable. We have terrific health costs.

I am self employed and am 1) distressed by the high cost of my health coverage 2) tired of being taken advantage of Blue Cross Blue Shield. HELP!

My Mother suffered a stroke (Katrina December 2005) She could not afford health insurance and was too young for Medicaid. To this day, she walks with a limp and finds it difficult to use her left arm/hand. She had no opportunity to receive physical therapy after leaving the hospital. Affordable healthcare (physical and mental)should be universal for all Americans. If we used the money spent overseas fighting bogus wars to ensure the health of our citizens, we'd be a healthier, happier and more well-adjusted nation.

My husband has type 2 diabetes. Not haveing health care is a death sentence for him. The fact that health care companies are allowed to have prior condition clauses means that our lives are severly restricted when it comes to choices of jobs and places to live and moving and other such things. He should not be punished because he was born with this illness. It is unfair and unjust. It's discrimination and it's restricting our freedoms as american citizens.

My health insurance premiums for my daughter and me run over $800 a month. If I lose my job (which could be very shortly) we will not be able to get health care. This is a scandal. There are people in this country who are worse off than I am. Please do something for them NOW.

For the last four years I have been working full time without heath insurance. I have called around for personal coverage but the premiums are too high unless I want a $5,000.00 and higher deductible. Currently , I'm in debt for over $30,000.00 for an uninsured emergency surgery. All employers need to offer some type of plan.

if it was not for health insurance through medcaid it would have missed a few things that hapeened as i am getting older.

Dear Mr. President, My name is Richard and I work in one of the large hospitals here in downtown New Orleans and I would like to share not a story, but rather, a perspective. Working in an urban hospital in New Orleans has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my entire life. Coming from Dallas, TX where there are dozens of beautiful hotel-esque hospitals it was a real shock to come to downtown New Orleans and see the sad state of healthcare here. I see the homeless and destitute wondering the streets, many of who have little... (more)