Blue Cross refused to add my husband to family coverage when he left covered employment and COBRA expired due to his weight despite OK cholesteral, BP, etc. WE LOVE Kaiser and find the type of coverage superb within a "prescriber system." None-the-less our family pays over $14,000 per year for coverage with two self-employed, post-graduate wage earners. What would we do if we didn't make enough money to support this cost???????

Our family will need it for my disabled daughter after I retire. It will be essential for her to receive treatment for her epilepsy.

I have been working for the City of Portland Oregon since 1994. And during that time, I have seen the cost of my health care go up in leaps and bounds. I began with no payment to the premium. In 2000, my first child was born and it cost me $50 out of pocket (which included all the prenatal care and 2 nights stay in the hospital when he was born). Just a few months more than 4 years later (in 2005) I had my second child, with the same "empoloyers insurance" and it cost me $600 each ($1,200) which was the max. out of pocket person.

My In-Laws live over two hours away. They were considering moving to our town so that we could be closer to help them. They decided they needed to stay where they are because they can't find a health care provider here that will accept new medicare patients. It is the only thing stopping them from coming here.

We pay seven to eight hundred a month for our family on a single income. This doesn't include perscription drugs. Any would be employer would have the burden of supplying these same health care benefits. We need healthcare reform for our economy to recover. We cannot compete with other countries in business if we fail to act. Please help make America strong once again. A majority of the people in the United States will welcome it.

My son has a preexisting condition and no insurance company would cover him. Right now he is under the OMIP however the premium is very expensive and the coverage does not provide dental and vision. He needs an insurance that is more affordable and better coverage.

I have worked over 30 years for labor unions representing working Americans. I have negotiated numerous collective bargaining agreements including and maintaining healthcare benefits. I have a working knowledge of healthcare providers and their practices. The ONLY workable healthcare plan that Congress and your Administration can provide is one that includes a true single-payer option that is government administered. It is not and should not be the business of the Congress or the Executive Branch to protect for profit healthcare providers... (more)

I manage an outpatient diabetes education program for a large hospital system in the Pacific Northwest. We frequently see insurers (including Blue Cross, ODS, Cigna and Aetna) deny coverage for basic diabetes education for both patients newly diagnosed with diabetes and for gestational diabetes -- which puts both mother and developing baby at risk. It is criminal that they are able to get away with this.

My husband and I are fortunate to have health care. Our oldest son had a clean health history and was able to obtain a single payer plan with our Kaiser Permanente system when he turned 23. Our younger son, however, was turned down because he had asthma as a child...a pre-existing condition. He has not been able to get affordable health care and is currently uninsured. We are paying for a catastrophic insurance policy for him and praying that he doesn't neeed it, but we are concerned that he is not receiving preventative health care right... (more)

My greatest fear is that one major health event will send my family into financial ruin. I have health insurance for my family, but by no means is it all inclusive. One bursh with cancer, or an accident could destroy us financialy. Keep up the amazing work your doing Mr. President. Jason Schaumberg Happy Valley, OR

I am reasonably healthy and have good health care coverage however, I have several friends who are not so lucky. I have friends who are not provided health insurance from their employer and go without coverage since purchasing insurance might mean the difference between eating and keeping a roof over their head or buying some insurance just in case something happens. They are stuck with living in the now and they feel they must gamble on having no coverage until they reach Medicare age. I have other friends who would like to retire... (more)

I don't have a bad health care story... yet. I guess if you count that my wife and I have been putting off having shildren for 10 years now due to a lack of reliable insurance for the maternity phase. A government insurance option would be a great step. I doubt the management of such a program would be paid millions of dollars per year like the private sector - this is, hands down, the biggest waste of our premiums. As an economist, i object to the waste they chalk up to 'profitability'. (As an aside, any government-mandated insurance... (more)

My husband owns a small business with under 10 employees. It puts us deeper and deeper into debt every month to provide this service for our employees and ourselves. Five years ago we were without health insurance, we feel very fortunate-very soon we will re-structure our health insurance because of the cost and hopefully we will not be without health care...again

I have Type 2 diabetes and the only way I can get health insurance is to be on a group policy through an employer. I carried the health insurance for both my husband and me, until I was laid off, at which time I was told over and over that each company I contacted would not take me on. Luckily I found a new job in a small office which does provide group health. That was four years ago, since that time my husband was on mine, then got a job with insurance, only to be laid off from that and had to again go on my insurance. We have no option.... (more)

President Obama, I am 70 years old (retired-involuntarily) my husband is 63. He was fortunate to be holding his job during these tough time. In March he was hospitilized for 7 days with congestive heart failure. He is home now and feeling better. Unfortunately his doctor says he cannot go back to work unless he has a sedintary job with 15 min breaks every hour and has to have his legs propped up while sitting. Got an idea who will let him keep his job under these circumstances? His disaability will run out June 26. Our insurance is... (more)

I haven't had health coverage for 15 years, as I had to work part time in order to care for my ill son throughout his childhood. I was able to go back to work full time about eight years ago, as I finally found a full time position I could work from home. Unfortunately, my employer does not offer health coverage, even though it had been promised. For years, I have been denied health care by many doctors, unless I had cash up front to pay for it, and you know how expensive it is, especially for a single parent. Even when I could get a... (more)

My recent experience with a broken ankle and subsequent blood clot resulted in astonishing and unnecessary charges. This was a workman's comp covered incident. The first hospitalization was critical. I had surgery. Five weeks later I suspected that I may have a blood clot in the back of my calf. My doctor's appointment was at 3:45 pm on Friday. By the time I was examined and tested it was after 5:00. My physician told me I needed to start blood thinners immediately, injections of Lovenox. Because the drug was expensive, and workers comp... (more)

At age 20, my daughter developed an autoimmune problem which has still not been specifically diagnosed. She graduates college in June and will have no insurance coverage, because she will be denied coverage by private insurers. I don't understand what she did wrong to deserve this. She's a great student and person who's always done the righter things. How could this be?

I recently spent two weeks in Florida watching my dad die. My dad (84) went to the doctor in April with stomach pain. They did a CAT scan and found nothing. A few days later, he went to the emergency room with severe pain. The diagnosis this time - infected gall bladder. The doctors spent the next two weeks debating if my dad should have surgery (he had heart problems). They treated him with antibioitcs. The next diagnosis - he could not withstand surgery and soon after that his kidneys began failing. He went into the hospital on May 1... (more)

In 2001, I was working full time. One day I could not lift my arm, it was numb or dead. The dr I seen, said it was my non-union collarbone.(I don't agree, but anyhow)They did a surgery, that went awry. I since lost my full time good paying job, and lost my health care with blue cross. No income, no doctor appointments, so no physical therapy. No pain medicines. Complete Disability, but Social security disability is denied. Still no monies/ medical care to even try to become undisabled from this. Life is hard to live with one arm, excruciating... (more)