Texas just passed legislation in the senate that flies in the face of CMS, and our president's principles - read on . . . Why do Glenn Beck's lies matter? What does matter is that Beck and company throughout the nation are precisely what is wrong with "media" in America, today. They lie, They merely comment, or read a script (but have to be re-cycled actors, former reality show idiots, and such, not journalists). Case in point, in Lubbock Texas right now, because their media outlets are owned by one company, and their paper is... (more)

I was always on my parents insurance until I got married and while I was on my parents health plan i was diagnosed with skin cancer, a malignant melanoma, fortunately i had a quick recovery but because of this "blemish" on my record I had trouble finding anyone that I could find independantly to purchase health care from. In the interim of my marriage and getting on with a company insurance plan I struggled to finally find an insurance company that had prices that I could afford. Because of this small health scare, Insurance... (more)

A lot of people here in West Texas can't have good health care because the cost is too high. I had a dear friend who died of cancer because he could not pay the high cost of health care.

We are a family of Seven, Two adults and five children. We elect to pay for healthcare insurance through my Husband's employer. We pay out about 300 a month just to have coverage, and then there are deductibles and out of pocket expenses on top of that. There are times when we do not have the copays because we still owe the doctor money from previous appointments. I am in desperate need of a hysterectomy. I am only 30 years old and with five children my healthcare takes a backburner. I feel as though I am being selfish if I use the family... (more)

Stop using the middle class working people to pay for all those illegals having a house full of kids they can't take care of. We middle class have struggled for years trying to keep our heads out of water, but we can't because we are having to pay health care for those people that would preferr to draw welfare and food cards. Food cards are being sold for $0.50 on the dollar on the streets to buy drugs or what ever else is needed, yet the Government's attitude is "we give them cards for food and if they sell them they don't eat". ... (more)

At the age of 61, after weeks of fatigue and not feeling well, my mother went to a clinic for low-income people in Levelland, Texas. The doctor sent her for blood work. A few days later, she was sent to Lubbock, Texas to see a "$pecialist" who sent her to a diagnostic center for an ultra sound. The results, cirrhosis, or cancer of the liver. A biopsy to find out what we were dealing with was impossible because her liver was in such poor condition, she could have died during the procedure. This $pecialist put her on a medication... (more)

I am in favor of a form of Medicare for all -- I am on Medicare, & have a policy which pays the 20% my Medicare doesn't pay after paying 80% of what it actually allows for the procedure or care. At my age (83), with Social Security as my primary income, I can't begin to dexcribe how comforting it is to know that my medical bills are taken care of. A fee for Medicare is taken out of my Social Security check. With a single-payer Medicare for all, there will be more money paid into the system, some of which will be paid by people who will... (more)

I own several rentals. T have a gentleman who helps me with maintenance and yardwork. Neither he nor his wife have any medical insurance. Most of their medical needs go untreated until there is a major medical situation. Then their only source of help is the local emergency room at the hospital. There are many thousands of these cases across the nation.

Health care continues to increase, consumming more of my tight budget. The local health system's is concerned with profit, including the County facility. They Try to find ways of increased doctor office visits, "regular" specility exams for skin, heart, and rectal, each costing over $100 copay. How about combining eye and dental coverage into the regular health insurance instead of having separate coverages? Reform should include national companies ability to offer local coverage to increase competition and end local monopolies!... (more)

My husband has his own small business and we need a healthcare plan available for our family that won't cost us our entire salary. I called around to check on insurance and the cost of the insurance for my family would cost twice my house payment. There is no way I can have insurance at this cost.

I am a Social Worker in a small community, and I see people on a daily basis,who though ill or in need of medication,and do not any resources, I am talking about the low income working poor who do not qualify medicaid, though tax paying citizens.

I am 21 years old and was diagnosed with conversion diorder. Conversion disorder is were all your stresses and anxieties are portrayed through physical complications such as seizure like activity. however through all the tests on my mind and body Im healthy. I lost the ability to operate a vehicle and lost my job due to this disorder, and its made finding a new job very hard. The Texas Workforce Commission will not pay me unemployment because they said Im unable to work. So now I have no income and roughly $25,000 I owe to two hospitals. One... (more)

I am retiring in June and I cannot afford to buy health insurance.I lost my right kidney in Nov. 2007,so insurance premiums are higher for people like myself,

Since I'm a mental health counselor, this issue affects my passion to be able to advocate and serve my own clients. Texas: **Medicaid: Children who have and do qualify for Medicaid must reapply every six months and often lose coverage for a few months because the State fails to be capable of processing their paperwork fast enough (Anson)(Hamlin)(Stamford)<this is also happening with food stamps now and all of a sudden people are told there are no emergency food stamps anymore>. Medicaid makes you choose (or chooses for you) a... (more)

100 years ago Dr S. Josephine Baker began a program through the NYC Public Health Department entering the schools and teaching children better health practices. The best recommendation she got was a petition to the mayor to stop her program. It was signed by about 30 Brooklyn physicians claiming that her program was hurting their practices. (She tells her story in her book, Fighting for Life, page 147. It is retold in our book, The Boids and the Bees, and used as a center piece for how our health care system should be reformed. Surgical... (more)

I have worked since i have been 13 years old,was in the military (nat'l gaurd) and have been lucky enough to have insurance once. i had a major motorcycle accident at one point and did not have insurance, had to be x-rayed from head to toe, though no major broken bones were broken i had a serious concussion, and had serious soft tissue damage and could not walk without assistance for a year but was sent home due to no insurance and my former husband was told to wake me every 2 hours to make sure i was still conscious. Since his death i have... (more)

My husband and I were visiting with a foreign exchange student in Sweden that we had sponsored several years ago. My husband had to be transported to the hospital via ambulance about 1 a.m. The ambulance arrived within 10 minutes after asking if they needed to be there sooner. The EMT's were professional and competent. My husband was taken straight to an examining room. His fever was 104 and rising. His care was through and comprehensive. He was in a private room within an hour and being given further diagnostic exams within two hours.... (more)

My husband has operated a family owned and operated small business for over thirty years. Throughout the years the company always had health insurance for the employees. As premiums increased we were forced to raise the deductible again and again, to keep the premiums affordable. Finally we were at a $5000 deductible and an annual premium of $72,000 for eight people, completely unaffordable, we cancelled the employee health insurance for all eight employees. ( in Texas if we had over 100 employees we could have self insured ) My husband was... (more)

I am an OB/Gyn Nurse Practitioner in an academic institution. I have students with student health insurance who do not have coverage to have screening for sexually transmitted diseases or for the HPV vaccine. They want both of these things but cannot afford to pay for it themselves. Some are undergraduates, graduate students, medical and nursing students. They do not have many choices for the kind of birth control they can use because of cost.

My husband and I are 55 years old. He was laid off in November and we lost our insurance. I have a number of medical problems. My neighbors told me to go to UMC er and I did. I have had to go two times in 3 months. I was not dying so I was shown the door and billed approx 4,000.00. I need surgery and was told so sorry. I went to the "free clinic" in Lubbock and a free visit turned to 110.00!!!! We are loosing our house and car, my husband makes too much money on unemployment to receive food stamps, blue card or any help. I... (more)