My mother's high stress level caused by fighting insurance companies contributed to her early demise.

My husband and I are self employed attorneys. Our premiums and deductibles increase without notice to us. We now pay $1200 a month and insurance will only pay 70% of our costs. We have relatives who are in worse shape - low paying jobs with no insurance, and children who aren't covered for dental or visions. Our "choice" is the the deluxe hospital,or county general. Mental health care is dismal.

I am being laid-off from my job and have already had my health care benefits taken away. I will not be able to pay for costly individual coverage with no job in sight!!

I moved to my parents' home in order to take care of my Dad, who was diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson disease. I have had to deal with all their medical needs, and know the importance of each and everyone of us having adequate health care. Much of my father's care was out of pocket and quite shocking as to how much it was in the end. For those that have no means of health care, I do not know how anyone can survive a catastrophic illness like our family had to deal with.

August 2008 I lost my job with a non-profit & lost my medical,& dental coverage, as a result I can not find work because I have medical problems that are going untreated. High Blood pressure, diabetes,COPD and can't afford the medications,I need dental work; I have two teeth that have broken off in the gum and are infected and causing other health problems. I only hope I'm still alive to see reform take place. I'm a widow of a V.N. vet and he was killed working for the State of Calif.He gave his life for this country and I need HELP;... (more)

We strongly support Health Care Reform, which is way overdo. Lynn sits as Chair of Watsonville Community Hospital and come in contact often with people who defer medical treatmnet due to being under-insured or un- insured. It saddens us that we live in a country where insurance for all should be the norm, yet it is not. We have helped children with funding to insure they have sedation for dental treatment because MediCal does not cover such. Additionally, we have family members who have let themselves become at physical risk because they... (more)

I have spent the majority of my adult life uninsured as a result of being a divorced single mother, self-employed as the director/owner of a childcare center. I was unable to afford medical insurance for myself and cover housing, food, etc. for two teenage sons. I offered sliding scale to 50% of my parents on their children's tuition. Most of the single parents did not have health insurance, either. I did offer medical insurance to my staff as part of their benefits. My preschool/childcare center was NAEYC accredited meeting the highest... (more)

I have no health care that I can afford as a full-time student; however, my children are covered by the state. We are fortunate enough to have good health which produces little to no cost, at this time.

I've been paying my own personal health insurance premiums for over 20 years. The premiums increase 30+% every few years, so I have to keep increasing my deductible and reducing my benefits so I can afford at least some insurance. My fear is that when I actually need it, it won't cover my needs. After paying thousands of dollars for insurance, I may not even receive any benefits. That's a scary thought.

I have recently returned to the United States only to find I cannot afford sufficient health care coverage. I pay only for catastrophic care. This is shocking to me because for over 20 years I had complete coverage complete with annual checkup at extremely affordable rates in the country I lived in. On one occasion in 2000, I needed surgery. I came back to the States to see if this is where I should have the surgery only to find the cost for the surgery and a 3 day stay was over $40,000. I went back to Japan had the operation with a 13 day... (more)

I can't afford to pay my portion of lab costs, and am forced to make $20 a month payments. I recently skipped a doctor's appointment and more lab work because I just can't afford it. I had to choose between dental work and cholesterol "work". My cholesterol problem is more serious, but the dental work was more immediately necessary.

I don't want a hand out from any one but I do want a prevention treatment to treat me before I ever get sick. Please find a way to help my needs; because this young body that I have won't last and neither will my health. You can't cure the world from its illnesses, but you can do at least one thing which is primitive health plan in order to help save many U.S. lives. -Juan A. Reyes

Both my adult son and daughter aged 35 and 33 work full time yet have no health coverage. My son's employer does not offer it and he does not earn enough to buy his own. My daughter is raising two children alone with no finacial assistance. She is a hair stylist and attending college to become a nurse. She cannot afford to buy her own insurance.

I know several people without health care coverage. Please don't let the far right have their way by using "red scare" tactics. We need single-payer, like other modern nations. Thanks.

Every sector in the health care delivery system MUST take ownership of what that particular sector can control and begin responsibly looking at their part in the system. I am personally discusted with the ratio of Cheif Opperating Officer's pay to the lowly heath care worker. I am also decusted with the unnecessary surgeries, drug perscribing by physhions and general lack of personal responsibility for our individual health by the average American citizen.

At this moment in time, my sister, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer, is about to loose her health care. She has worked for the University of California, Santa Barbara for the past several years, but now that job has ended. My sister's job provides the only health care available for my niece (age 4) and nephew (age 2) as well as my brother-in-law. (No health care available with his job as a carpenter.) She and her family will be without health care beginning in June. Although COBRA care is the only option, she cannot afford the... (more)

I know a young person in his late twenties whose back was injured in auto crash. He had no insurance since he was not enrolled in graduate school at the time and he can't by covered by parents' insurance. He has had on-going pain for several years and has NO health insurance coverage. He can only work a few hours a week in computer repair, which doesn't yield any health insurance but because he has a small income isn't eligible for Medical, the CA version of medicaid, or care at the County Hospital. - marlys maher

I know a man that went to a private MD, but after paying for a CATSCAN, etc, he knew he couldn't afford to keep going to her so she referred him to the local county hospital because she thought he had emphysema. However, the county hospital couldn't see him for about 6 months and then took too much time again. By the time he was diagnosed properly, it was determined he had lung cancer and that the cancer had spread to his liver. This is a hard-working man, soft-spoken humble man who worked as a gardener and due to his low income did not get... (more)

I am ready to have affordable healthcare for myself and my family. We own our own business, and it has been difficult to access quality healthcare at a price we can afford.

I am a family physician in a small town, insurance companies discount payments because of my location, i have patients who can't afford their medications, and I can't afford to hire new health care providers, so who will take care of my patients when I retire. We need a single payor system that pays doctors equally, there needs to be community healthcare support to provide dietary and healthy lifestyle education to our citizens. Dr Chris Ponzio