I am a pediatric oncologist who practices in an academic setting where no child with cancer is turned away because of an inability to pay for care. However, when we deliver care to patients and families who lack coverage or to those whose third party payors require that we spend enormous time and resources in documenting what we do so that we can be reimbursed, we are losing the opportunity to find better ways of curing more children through research.Our colleagues in other first world countries have shown us that there are better ways when... (more)

As the owner of a small business, I was proud and happy to provide full insurance for my employees and their families for 25 years. Over the last ten years, the ever increasing rise of health coverage costs have forced us to cut back, a trend which makes hurts my pride and, more importantly, hurts the pocketbooks of our hardworking staff.

I currently work in the field of public health and have noticed how so many inequities have led to the downfall of this great nation. One of those inequities is the access to affordable health care. Increasing access will allow the underprivileged to receive care before it is too late. However, at the same time, more must be done to address other disparities which hinder the health status of this nation. Particularly, nutrition, safe working conditions, and education must be put at the top of the agenda.

As a neurologist, I care for people with strokes, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy. Many Pennsylvanians do not have adequate health care coverage. Meanwhile, I see layers of administration hanging over billing and scheduling. We've got to find a way to simplify health care and bring in more people.

As a perfectly healthy person in their 20's, one would think qualifying for health insurance would be a non-issue. However, that is not the case when you have a pre-exisiting condition. I have narcolepsy, which requires me to take a pill each day to stay awake. This is a small health problem compared to many other pre-existing conditions, but one that requires me to have insurance to cover the cost of my prescription (which is about $900/month without insurance). Here are some issues that I have dealt with in recent years: -Like many recent... (more)

I am a primary care physician in urban Philadelphia. Many patients have to leave our practice because of a change in health insurance. Other patients come to us after ending long relationships with their primary care providers because of a change in insurance. Both situations result in lower quality of care as well as frustration. Please ensure choice of health care providers.

I am a fourth year medical student working in Center City Philadelphia. I work in hospitals, crisis centers, and drug rehab programs and meet resilient, hopeful patients everyday. As I work and learn in hospitals in this city I encounter people struggling with mental illnesses who do not have access to the help they need. Insurers often don't provide mental health coverage at all. When they do cover mental health, the often only cover the medications/ pharmaceutical solutions. Patients have little or no access to psychological solutions - like... (more)

I work more than 60 hours a week and have no health insurance.

I am a 52year old male living in Philadelphia. I am a lawyer. I was a solo practicioner for ten years until I was disabled by a surgeon. After being disabled, I was no longer able to sustain a law prectice. I am now able to work but in this economy, cannot find suitable employment. I have been taking any kind of temporary contract work I can find, but continue to struggle. I have been paying for private insurance since 1994 and have seen the cost of insurance skyrocket over the last few years. Where is all this money going? Insurance... (more)

I recently lost my job and, thus, lack health care. I hope that Congress pass a health care bill that will provide universal health care at low cost. Thank you President Obama for placing this issue on your high priority list. If a health care bill is enacted I believe that this will be President Obama's biggest accomplishment similar to President Roosevelt's Social Security bill.

During grad school, I was left uncovered for a period of 4 years. I broke my ankle and shoulder, did not receive treatment, and have been bothered by chronic pain.

I'm lucky to work at the University of Pennsylvania where I can get decent health care. Because of the years we had to put up with Bush, I was so depressed, I needed medication. If we could survive all that, health care should be a walk in the park -so to speak.

I work in a mental health clinic. It's basically just therapy, but there are children with ADHD, Autism, and other disorders that receive services through the company. The majority of the time, these children come from low income housing. It's people who don't know how to deal with their children's disability and luckily were able to find the clinic and receive help. Many children, however, our rejected by the insurance organizations that help pay for our services, due to their financial situations. There aren't a lot of companies that provide... (more)

Trsvelling out to the West Coast to visit my daughter in college, I experienced a severe pain in my groim area. I went to the ER at the hospital in Berkeley, where I waited for five hours to be seen. WHen I was finally ushered into see a doctor, I was asked a few questions by a doctor, given a pain killer, and told that I could proceed to Vancouver, the next destination on my trip. In Vancouver, the following afternoon I again experienced the same sharp pain, went to a Canadian hospital where I was immediately admitted, underwent a series... (more)

I am HIV positive and I feel chained to my corporate job because health insurance would be unaffordable, or unobtainable otherwise. Drug costs alone are tens of thousands of dollars a year. If I lost my job I would no longer be able to take my medicine due to the cost.

I've been fortunate so far. Nonetheless, my philosophy is simple: There are some things in life that should not, cannot, be about profit and health care is one of them. Health care has to be about the health of the patient and the best judgment of the doctor. Any system that is about profit primarily is unsound and absurd.

Dear President Obama, I have two personal stories I'd like to share with you. 1. Critical Coverage - DENIALS On September 18, I was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, a rare and debilitating neurological disorder. Maximal recovery occurs within the first 3-6 months. Treatment is both limited and imperative. Aetna denied my treatment during this critical time period. I went from being an active, contributing member to society, to nearly blind, nearly paralyzed, and barely functioning. Thanks to a pro-bono attorney, Jennifer Jaff, we... (more)

Cancer was an occupational hazard among the older generation in the tiny Scottish village in which I was born. I was introduced to cancer at an early age when my grandfather, a coal miner, died from stomach cancer. He was not the last; many relatives and numerous members of the local population succumbed to various forms of the disease. It was accepted as an inevitable fact of life: unavoidable and incurable. Visits to the doctor were rare in the village, usually only after a serious accident or when disease symptoms became extreme. When my... (more)

I have a 31 year old daughter living in California who has ADD. Because of that she cannot get health care even though we are willing to pay for it. ADD is considered a mental health disorder, which it is not. Medication to treat it is expensive and she must see a psychiatrist in order to get her prescription. She has other minor health issues that need a doctor's attention, but like many her age, she has few options that aren't costly and so she puts off going to see a doctor or a dentist.

last year I was between jobs and needed health care insurance. BS/BC declined an insurance because I had an eye surgery and history of migrane. I work in health care and this experience was an eye opener for me. I also have professional friends young friends with history of cancer. Even that cancer is in remission for over 5 years they are so scared that they will loose their job and health insurance.