EVEN IF YOU HAVE "GOOD" INSURANCE ... Insurance companies do their best not to pay for covered problems. A friend who was dying of cancer in the hospital's oncology ward made the effort to see her friends to the elevator. This took a gargantuan effort on her part and it resulted in her being sent home because she was "ambulatory," and her insurance company would not pay for in-hosptal care. With deep emotions and much regret, the nurses removed all her IVs, including the morphine, and she was sent home in an ambulance... (more)

I have been licensed in Heath Insurance for over 30 years. I have represented Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield to its top corporate accounts from 1989 thru 1993. I think I know a little about this subject. IT IS A NATIONAL SHAME that WE DO NOT HAVE a NATIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO COVER ALL AMERICANS NOW is the TIME

My husband is an entrepreneur, he has been running a successful consulting company for 6 six years. Due to the high cost of individual health insurance I have been unable to leave my traditional job, which offsets some of our health insurance costs. I would like to start my own business and my husband would like to expand his, but the increased expense of carrying individual heath insurance makes it too costly.

Health care affordability needs to be addressed. I am a teacher, and feel so fortunate to have a family health care plan. When my son no longer was eligible under my plan, I was able to get him on a COBRA in order to continue his health insurance. The cost of this per month was $701. 63. I was able to pay it, but just barely. Now that it is time to re-enroll, the new COBRA payment arrived. For one year the payment is now $835 per month! This is for a healthy college student!! If I do the math, that tells me a family of 4 would have to pay... (more)

We pay over $786 a month for a high deductible plan. It's simply not affordable as my wife is out of work and my business has hit hard times. HELP!

my health insurance is 1365.00 a month with a $3000 deductible. So I really have no health care because I can't afford to have any tests done

As a pharmacist, I understand the difficult choices facing some patients today like whether to spend money on their medication or pay for food and housing. I sympathize with their dilemma and would like to see health care reform that included negotiating lower drug costs for seniors and anyone unable to afford their medications.

We can't fix anything if we can't fix health care: the ones that get it pay too much and the ones that can't pay don't get enough of it. Yet we get bogged down debating the health of insurance companies instead of people, or distracted by the media's sole preoccupation - stirring up a fight. We need to start looking for answers instead of advantage and ignore the noise. We have to get this problem behind us because the one that's waiting in the wings is a doozy - the environment! We elected a President (to paraphrase so many during the... (more)

Dear President Obama, My husband and I have owned our own small business for over 26 years. Obtaining adequate health coverage we could afford has been a problem and a strain on our budget as we raised 3 children and sent them to college. We could never afford to cover our few employees which we would readily do, if the cost was at all reasonable. Our home inspection business is off by 60% in this economy. We haven't taken a paycheck in 5 months, yet our health insurance has to be paid each month and the cost has increased... (more)

I am lucky to have a decent health insurance policy through my work, but a number of years ago when I had an accident, I remember meeting a young man in the hospital who, although he had broken his hip just as I did, did not have his recuperative therapy covered. He was sent home in a taxi cab three days after his surgery to fare for himself. This is just unacceptable in a country with as many resources as ours.

The VA works for most Veterans. Let's see some of the lessons learned in the VA applied to the future of health care.

Our son, needs to take Adderol, and since he works as a trader, he couldn't afford healthcare! Connecticut passed a law, which allows children to remain covered until they are 26. Thank God, we, otherwise couldn't afford to pay out of pocket for him

My only collections on my perfect credit report are medical that I didn't even know about. I am self employed and Aetna has just increased my family plan to over $1,200 per month and they end up covering nothing. I am being billed hundreds of dollars by every Dr that me and my family visit. This is a nightmare!

As a physician, working for 31 years in obstetrics and gynecology, I see the need for universal health care. It is the right thing to do.

I work for the UN and live overseas. I have excellent insurance. I came to the US for a break and wanted to get an ultrasound of my pregnancy. It was a nightmare. No one knew what to do with soemone who was outside the system even though I was willing to pay cash. One Dr wanted all my info and then to book me for the delivery (at 5 months when I wasn't planning on delivering in the US) and wanted the insurance coverage all sorted ut for the delivery. Obviously not an option. I called the hospital and asked how I could do it. They said come... (more)

Dear President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama, My favorite of your campaign ideas was the possibility of a volunteer program for HS graduates to spend a period of time in the Peace Corp, Military, Habitat for Humanity, etc. prior to entrering college or the work force. I envisioned it as kind of Rights of Passage in which the rewards for growth and learning could be like the GI Bill for health care and a paid for higher education, depending on the legnth of service. While I'm in favor of all your efforts at health care reform,... (more)

I think it is really important to be able to keep your own doctors. I have congenital heart disease and when I was fresh out of school, living on my own in NY and didn't have alot of money I didn't feel like paying the higher percentage to see my regular doctor who is one of the number one specialists in the states for adults with congenital heart disease, so I went with the Dr. on the plan who didn't know anything about my ailment. He called me on a Saturday night at 11pm to tell me I had to go in the hospital of emergency surgery the very... (more)

I have a friend who's 29. He is paying so much in college loans and loans from trying to start a business that he can't afford to pay health insurance premiums right now. "I'm very healthy" he says. And he is. But I pray he doesn't have an injury or come down with an unforeseen illness.

The key to improving health care is efficiency. We have been doubled billed, records have been lost, redundancy in our treatment. Efficiency begins with each individual, with diet, exercise, and a little less inclination to rush to the doctor for every ache and pain. There should be incentives for people like me: I am sixty years old, I eat well and exercise. I don't take up the time and money of the system. When I get to Medicare, I am not going to use up the Medicare or take advantage of the system,because I won't have to, but many... (more)

My only sister recently passed away from terminal cancer, but she had wonderful health care insurance that paid for all of her treatments which allowed her to live for four years, enough time to dance at her son's wedding and see her first granddaughter born. What if she had been too poor to afford her treatments, or uninsured? Would she have lived long enough to enjoy those precious family moments? Probably not. The poor and the uninsured don't seem to have the same medical care as my sister was blessed to have. I believe it is time for us... (more)