I work best as a self-employed person, but because it's so hard to get health insurance, I end up having to go back to full-time employment periodically so I can take my insurance for 18 months under COBRA. Let's at least make health care portable people! The current system is stifling creativity. If all of the job growth comes from entrepreneurs like me then let's remove the #1 impediment to starting a business for many people -- lack of affordable health care!

I fear health care expenses increasing as I get older. I had gum surgery in August of 2007 and my health care plan covered very little of that expense. I had to cancel many plans for late summer and fall of that year. I find dealing with health care bureaurcracy extremely frustrating.

My first job out of college was working for a local Maryland health department as a case manager for their colorectal cancer prevention program. We provided free colonoscopies to a small number of uninsured/under-insured residents. It was in this role that I realized how many individuals struggle with this issue. Though I have/had great respect for the program, we did not even have enough funding to provide treatment to those who were diagnosed with cancer through their free colonoscopy. This gap in care astounded me. I could not understand... (more)

When I was 23 and in college, I was kicked off of my father's state health insurance because of my age. Ever since then I have been trying to find affordable health care. While I was in college I was able to obtain health insurance from my university (thanks to my father paying for it) but now that I am out of school, I am struggling like so many other people out there. I have asthma, severe seasonal allergies, 2 slightly dislocated discs in my back, and a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems. In addition I... (more)

As a self-employed person who once had cancer, for years the only health insurance I could get cost me $10,800 a year. Access to quality health care should not depend on how much money you have.

My daughter had the flu in 2007, and wasn't recovering...She could barely move when I finally took her to the E.R. They sent for an ambulance and immediately transported her to Children's Nat'l Medical Center. Three weeks she was in and out of ICU while they tried to figure out what was wrong. Finally, we had our diagnosis, and a $60,000 bill to pay. Thank God, we have Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance, and were able to pay the whole thing. I feel terrible for those who are not so lucky, and need coverage. NOW. So, yeah, let's help them... (more)

As a moneyless, foreign student in England back in 1978 I suffered a motorcycle accident in which a broke my femur. The UK, single payer Health Care System took care of me right from picking me up off the road to putting me back together and all the subsequent follow ups without me having to pay a penny. The care was excellent, and not once did they make a fuss about me being a foreigner. This is how health care should be, a commitment of government to take care of health needs of the people living on their country's soil. It is an... (more)

I am one of the fortunate Americans who has health care coverage, yet I am also one the Americans who is at risk of losing their jobs. I just had a rather bizarre incident occur, (I am an otherwise healthy adult),that required hospitalization and much testing. That entire time, I kept thinking that I will still have some to pay, and when my job finds out, will it count against me? There are many more of my fellow citizens and even my own family members, who don't have any coverage and/or have to pay their own high premiums. My brother's... (more)

My story is more complicated than some. I actually have health insurance. But I was injured in a car accident, and the insurance companies haven't paid the bills from that. Now my knee has seriously injured. I'm still not working, and I could barely pay the co-pay, but because the past bills haven't been settled I can't go to my doctor to get my knee looked at. Only when I good comprehensive system is implemented will things work. I used to be firmly against government involvement. But now that we sow how horrible a job the... (more)

In 2007, I needed to get a root canal done on my tooth because the pulp chamber of the tooth was exposed. The pain was indescribable and I happened NOT to have health insurance. The total cost for the treatment was over $2000. I had two options: have my tooth pulled or pay over $2000. I did not want to lose my tooth, so I purchased a prepaid health insurance which took ONE week to be activated. During the wait time for the insurance to take effect, I could not work or sleep. It was an awful time and I could not image something like that would... (more)

In cases where health care can be provided outside of your plan. you should be able to get whatever treatment in making your situation better.

During the day, I work as a Benefit Services Coordinator and I've watched the premiums soar--I saw a 25% increase in premiums from 2008 to 2009. 25%!! At night, I go home to a sick sister who laid in a hospital for a week--in extraordinary pain--while she was denied medical testing because her insurance didn't cover it. I think what a lot of people miss--the opponents of President Obama's mission--is that we're employed, educated, middle class people experiencing these kinds of things, this kind of treatment. We aren't the 'Welfare... (more)

My mother has chronic lymphocytic leukemia. When the cancer attacks her body, within one week one of her lymph nodes will go from being normal-sized to as big as a grapefruit. The treatment makes her very tired and severly lowers her immune system. When she is going throug treatment/chemo she is unable to rest and focus on her healing because she has to maintain a full workload as a real estate agent. Her doctor advises her that continuing to work full time increases her risk of contracting an illness and being unable to fight it due to how... (more)

When my husband died 5 years ago, I had to begin to pay for health care myself through my job. However, the premiums were so high ($600+ for a family of 4) that it was more cost effective to quit my job and take a part time job through the county government in order to get cheaper health care. I consider myself lucky to have great health care but at the cost of a career. I have a MEd and work as a crossing guard. I can't take the chance of financial ruin if one of my kids or I get seriously sick with something that isn't covered by insurance,... (more)

I am a physician who decided to stop seeing patients on a regular basis due to the unnecessary burdens placed on patients and then physicians who want to deliver quality healtcare for all people and not just patients with good insurance plans. I believe in healthcare for all Americans just as I believe in public schools, sewer systems, roads for all Americans paid by all for the benefits of society as a whole. The healthier the population, the more productive people are and the less stress they face regarding financing medications or... (more)

At 60, my aunt just lost her job, and along with it her health care benefits. A relatively healthy person throughout her life, she feels she doesn't need to spend money she doesn't have on health care she can't afford. As a former cancer patient navigator, I worked with many people who made the same choice to go uninsured, and who paid dearly in the form of savings and assets - middle class Americans who soon were living under the poverty line simply because they lacked health insurance. This "choice" must cease to exist - thank... (more)

I am a 56-yr-old single female with a single, moderate income and skyrocketing rent, housing fees, bills, subway fares, etc. My 401K is tanked, so I will never, ever be able to retire (how will I pay my rent if I don't work?). Because so much of my line of work has been offshored and I am currently making it as a Temp rather than as a regular employee, I do not have regular healthcare benefits. If I should become ill and not be able to work, I will not be able to pay for more than a few days of medical care, will not be able to continue... (more)

My son, his wife, and 3 children live in Nevada. He is a small businessman. His exorbitant health care costs threaten their livelihood. Despite having a very healthy family, they have had serious accidents and illnesses involving kidney stone, skiing, falls, and serious dehydration related to the flu. These are common health problems that should not turn into crises, but they do put this young family in a crisis.

My husband does not receive health care from his employer. So we must choose a plan for him. But none of the health care companies today have a brand that you can trust. It is nearly impossible to decide which company to go with or understand the levels of coverage. Not to mention that premiums are incredibly high. We absolutely need health care reform now so we can have confidence that the provider we choose will actually give us coverage at a price that is affordable.

I was laid off from a job that I absolutely because of the Board's decision to downsize. I am asthmatic. I had been accustomed to paying only the co-pay for my asthma medication. When I went to the pharmacy to purchase my much need medicine without the benefit of insurance, one prescription was $245 - I had five prescriptions! Needless to say, I have had to do without lifesaving medication. The additional impact of not having insurance was that I had to forgo my annual exams and check-ups. It is a shame to live in the greatest country in... (more)