I am 54 and single. I am self-employed. I have no savings and I have thousands of dollars of credit card debt stemming mostly from a near fatal case of pneumonia in 2005 that put me in the hospital in ICU for a week. I had no insurance at the time. It took several weeks before I could work for any length of time and I am still paying monthly on bills from that medical emergency. I am currently fortunate to be able to have health insurance, which is $376/month (it increased 25% last Fall, so I had to increase my deductible to keep my... (more)

I am 81 year old grandfather who is raising two grandchildern. They are 20 and 21 years now. They went to trade school and can not find a job. They have no health insurance. I am fortunate to have two health insurances. I hope everyone came have one health insurance. I was very ill two years ago with NH Lymphoma and heart valve replacement but ok now. Thank the good Lord for good health insurance. Thanks ML.

I have been diagnosed with MS. With this disease I need certain perscriptions in order to fight this disease. Fortunately, my family has an hmo where I am able to have an awesome neurologist as well as the perscriptions that I need with a copay that covers these perscriptions. Recently, I had a "bump" in the road, and I had to temporarily go off Avonex due to waiting for the results of an mri. Avonex, while fighting my disease, without copay costs over $2200 a month for four shots- the is a prefilled syringe with the Avonex already... (more)

healthcare costs high. i vote to have everybody gets equal health care cost.

I went without health care for ten years. Nothing serious ever happened to me, but I was also very young. God help me if I was ever in that situation again. It scares the hell out of me. A year ago I had to have major surgery and the cost for three days in the hospital was $16,000. That's not the meds, that's not the doctors, that's not the tests, that's just the hospital stay. Something needs to be done.

Just had a biopsy, no cancer, which is amazing. Because if it had been... my work situation right now is painting houses since I couldn't find a teaching job due to the economy... that to say, my health insurance is as deep as my pockets, which are shallow.

Not having access to affordable health Care is killing poepl every day. Even with my sisters medicare the stop lossis gretting closer every year to the beginning of the year it is crazy

we are on COBRA (I quit my job last year)which runs out in a couple months. we are shopping for a new carrier, but my wife's asthma is considered an existing condition and so we have been turned down. not sure what we will doo when our COBRA expires

My father, in his 70s does not believe in government programs. He has paid into private health insurance for years, but it was more expensive than Medicare. Finally he went with Medicare, and got very sick. The bill was over 250K. Had he not had Medcare, he and possibly I, could be broke today. But Medicare picked up the costs, and my Dad probably feels a little different about government programs now. But he might not ever admit it. Medicare saved our family from bankruptcy.

I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease 7 years ago, when I was 21. After I graduated with my bachelor's, I could no longer float on my parent's insurance... so I had to go without. Medications to just keep me out of remission were $1200/month (and that was ordering them through Canada; in the States they'd be close to $3000), let alone the fear I lived in if I were to get sick ($65,000 in hospital bills the last time). No private insurance companies would take me, but I made too much to qualify for MediCaid. What's most frustrating is that... (more)

I am an american citizen. I have worked and lived in serveral countries in my lifetime; australia, france, england, and new zealand. I am presently living in Canada All have universal health care. Just last month I was visiting family in Oregon. I experienced pains in my right side during the 5 hour drive back to Vancouver. After returning to Vancouver in the evening I went to bed thinking I consumed some bad food; I awoke at 3am to such incredible pain that I went to the hospital where I discovered I had kidney stones. The doctor,... (more)

A universal health care plan for all americans is really quite simple to do. Simply purchase all the HMO's, combine them into one corporation, elimate all the administration from all but one of the companies (savings of billions) have everyone pay 1% annually for premiums and have employers equal the amount. END OF STORY.

A 34 year old man has Cystic Fibrosis, but is still able to work part time and have insurance. It's just not enough to cover all his medical costs, including medications. He doesn't want to quit working to go on total disability, but he may have no choice. Still, how would he survive while waiting for the disability application process? His retired parents are helping all they can, but it's not enough.

The cost is very high and makes it difficult every month to cover the payment every month. And if there is a health issue my co payments are still expensive.

Dear Mr. President: I'm not sure if you will ever get this note, but I wanted you to know that I am a proud supporter of your plan - especially as it relates to affordable health care for all, and more importantly an expansion of preventative health care outreach and wellness promotion services in our nations workplaces and schools. As an occupational health nurse and clinician with twenty plus years of experience in the field, I work with citizens of all ages everyday across the great state of Oregon who struggle with managing their... (more)

Since being retired and on Medicare (plus) - I think that this model can form a basis for a future health care regime. We have choice and preventative care. And, I believe cost reduction is possible through prioritization of services and treatments.

My husband is a firefighter and police officer. He has good insurance by the standards of our friends who work in private sector. yet our children can only have a physical once every 3 years. That means that between age 2 and 5 when children double their weight and height, learn speach, learn to run, write, sing dance. when the early signs of spine, nerve,sight and hearing issues should be detected ...they get no check up. why ? Because it costs too much extra money for the agency to purchase the rider for yearly check ups. Too much to... (more)

A member of my family is unable to obtain health insurance due to a preexisting condition. The condition is under control, but the medication must be paid for out of the pocket. However, if something else would come up, there would be no coverage, it would be a huge problem. After having lived a number of years in Germany and experiencing the German health care system, I am appalled and ashamed at the lack of health care coverage in the US. America is a backwater in this area.

I have been fortunate because when I retired I fought for two years to get on PERS. It was great coverage (NO Dental and I have all my own teeth) and was affordable. Now under Medicare we pay almost $100 dollars and PERS is almost $100 dollars. My husband has Health Net not as good coverage as mine. So between the two of us we pay approx.$375 a month which equals $4400 a year.

Please give all Americans quality affordable health care.