I have a friend who can not afford to have healthcare insurance now. They pay $900 per month for health insurance. (yea there is a disease so they go to the VERY high risk group). These are good people but are having to consider dropping insurance because it has become so expensive. One more rate hick from Anthem and they will have to drop and can not get insurance from anyone else in VA. We need to have someone other than Insurance companies making decisions on what can be covered and how much it will cost.

I am a self-employed person who is lucky to have health insurance through my husband's company. That is NOT the case for many of my colleagues in the real estate industry. While our realtor association is slowly offering more health insurance opportunities, it is often at higher costs or for less comprehensive coverage in comparison to what employees in the corporate world may receive. Additionally, many self-employed people have fluctuations in their income directly proportionate to what is going on in the economy. And, unfortunately, one... (more)

As a young mother with toddlers, I constantly lived in fear of my children becoming so sick rhat I could not afford the expenses of a doctor or hospital. I worked and had health insurance but I could not cover the deductible which came with it because my salary was so low. Presently my niece is in the same situation. Her salary is low, and the health coverage she has is not accepted by many doctors or dentists. Thus she has walked around with an abcessed tooth for at least six months. I cannot convince her to just go ahead and have it... (more)

I know two famillies dealing with seriously ill children who have exceeded their health care coverage. Health coverage and finances should not be their concern at this time

As a senior citizen I would like present Medicare benefits to continue, my income is now fixed. For those family members now serving in the military and for all military families, I would like to see their health care improved. There is just no way to count the cost of their military sacrafices.

I am a DAV @ 10% Services Connected Injury and I've worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs/Appeals Mgmt. Center located in Washington, DC from: 11/14/2005 to 05/17/2009 and was Discharged from this Agency due to a Work Related Injury received on: 04/10/2009 with a Torn Rotator Cuff. Effective 05/17/2009 And Now, I have "No" Medical Coverage to Cover my Family as well as to proceed with the much needed operation and return to the workforce. This Country is well overdue for such a needed CHANGE re: HEALTHCARE. Mr. Frank... (more)

I have a daughter that had a heart attack at 21 and still is struggling even though she has surgery. Health care costs are too high. The middle man is taking all the money. I am ready to retire after 35 years of teaching and my health costs will take up most of my retirement. Please help!!

Just keep as good as Medicare but at a better price if possible.

As an educator, student, and child advocate I know that health care in America needs reforms and fast. I have lost numerous love ones to Cancer and I have seen first hand the affect that poor health care plans can harm individuals and families. As a child advocate I can attest to many children with exceptionalities that need healthcare and the services they provide but, their insurance companies refuse to provide the services and treatments that will best suit them.

I am a Registered Nurse and my husband is an Engineer. We make a decent income and we have medical and dental insurance through his employer. However that is not enough. Every time we take our children to the Dr. ,Urgent Care, hospital or Dentist we have to pay big. Somehow the insurance never helps us break even. This is very hard on us as we are trying to make ends meet and suddenly our 4 year old starts having problems in the middle of the night with her allergies and requires hosp treatment. I think health care cost are out of control and... (more)

Reference the health care issue, as a former federal employee, my health care has increased every year, to a point where now we have to pay $10.00 co-pay, $20.00 special appt. I know that this is not as bad as some folk, who do not have any sort of health care

My brother died of ALS and proir to his deateh he had to fight for adequate health care. He the end reslut was he had to apply for medicaid to get help. I beleive in universal health care for all. Additionally, I have a daughter with eight children, she is a widow and now a single mom.The children are all with out medical insurance at this time and she can not afford coverage for her children. I am worried that if she had any type of medical emergency that she would be in real trouble. We support the President with health care reform.

My son just graduated from college and is being considered for a placement in the Peace Corps. He has to have health insurance coverage in order to join, and we will have a major struggle to provide that and handle student loan payments which are also too high.

My husband and I have very good health insurance through his company, but he was diagnosed with cancer last fall. All through chemo and radiation treatments to his neck and throat, he never missed a day of work. However, I was really scared that he might get too sick and not be able to work. what if he lost his job? We would lose our house and our health insurance too. This has been a very unnerving time for us both. He will be getting a follow up PET scan in a couple of weeks to see if the cancer is gone. If, God forbid, its not, my... (more)

Thankfully I now have medicare and Va. Medicaid and they have served me well over the past few years now. However I do have a story to tell of how my family is effected, My daughter left her job ill the company insisted to the employment commission that she " abandoned her Job ,even with a Doctor's recomendation they won. she was in need of Dr's care no job! no insurance! for more than 6 mos. in the meantime her son( my grandson) became ill with a lung infection same story no insurance since he was on her insurance, he waited to see a... (more)

Last Christmas a beloved member of our quilt group died after having to endure over four years of chemotherapy and its side effects. This dear soul's family had to drive her to the geographical area that her HMO covered in order to receive the treatment she needed. The inability to receive medical treatment closer to home imposed an additional hardship. She had to endure the suffering due to chemotherapy and the three-hour car trip home. Where was the mercy?

I cant afford it.

I am disabled due to an injury on my job in 2001. I am only 42 my husband and I are parents to a total of 6 kids that live in our home. My husband works very hard while i maintain a safe stable inviroment for our children. He is the sole bread winner and the rising cost that he has to pay in health insurance has put us on the edge. Gas, groceries, health care, utility cost and the extreme high cost of our health care could eventually cost us to make a choice between healthcare and our mortgage. We are not in a sub prime mortgage catch,... (more)

So many people suffer in our country because of 'no health care'. My family and I have health care and are lucky, or are we really? My son is now 18 searching for work, like so many. The problem as I see it so many employers only hire part time, so they can skirt the costs of health care for so many. And once you have it, it may cost more than you make--that's what I worry about for my son. Will he have care when needed or be turned away because he has no health care. Alot of plans costs $$ out of the paycheck every week, but when you use it... (more)

My story is a bit different -- it contrasts our broken system with the much maligned "socialized medicine" of western Europe. I was Labor Attaché at our embassy in The Hague, Netherlands. While doing damage control in our flooded house, I fell 30 feet off a 3-storey roof onto a brick patio. Within seven minutes the Dutch EMT's arrived and quickly transferred me to Bronovo Hospital. With 3 broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a shattered elbow, I was admitted immediately into intensive care. The team of doctors stabilized me,... (more)