My children have grown, but they are now back at home; the chldren adn grandchildren are without coverage. When they get ill, it is difficult just to get someone to see them. We are in the US we should not have to worry how we can take care of our illness, or maintenance of our health. I wonder what will happen when I am at a point to retire; what happens then when the insurance is even higher with less income. Something must change and President Obama is trying to make a difference. Alice

When I was an undergraduate student, who was separated and later divorcd, and the primary provider for myself and my two children, I worked full-time. I could not afford insurance through my employer, a national drug store chain, and paying out of pocket for healthcare and prescriptions was impossible. My family used the emergency room as its primary healthcare provider.

My mother spends $415 a month to cover medical costs Medicare does not cover. This is absurd! It isn't about being able to afford insurance it is about the ethics of letting some people/ corporations/ pharmaceurtical companies make a fortune on our basic health care. The industry is out of hand. Please rail it in!

I am a 29 year old African American wife, mother and taxpayer. I have suffered with exczema all my life. My 3 year old child suffers with Asthma and my husband suffers with high blood pressure. Currenlty, my children receive healthcare. I am grateful for their Medicaid. However, my husband and I can not get in to see a doctor because our HMO has chosen a provider for us that isn't accepting new patients. We can't see another provider that isn't approved by the Healthease HMO but we can never get through to them. This is difficult and... (more)

I am lucky. I am one of millions of Americans who grew up having wonderful health care. My mother is a high school teacher, and her insurance covered me as a child. While I suffered through broken bones, stiches, and the like that children throughout the country suffer, mine were made less painful for my family because of my coverage, and the slight co-pay that came out of pocket to reset my arm and put me in a cast. Others without such coverage face harder choices. My parents, unlike some less fortunate, didnt have to weigh getting me... (more)

A dear friend who is like my sister and her husband are dealing with his esophageal cancer. They have each worked since they were young and as they've grown older have owned their own businesses. The insurance they have is not paying for much of his treatment. Carol tells me that she will probably have to declare bankruptcy because of this. She's had to try to negotiate payments with various providers. So, in addition to the stress of Vic's illness and what will apparently be a much shorter than anticipated life, they are struggling with... (more)

I got laid off from my job at Raytheon in 2008 and lost health care coverage for myself and my family. I have a job now as an independent contractor being paid on a 1099 basis. We still have no health care and hope you will help provide affordable health care for all americans.

A few years ago, I was unloading my dishwasher and dropped a heavy glass on the counter which broke and gashed my finger open as I tried to catch it. I went to the ER and received 4 stitches. I did not have insurance because I was not yet eligible through my employer. The cost of 4 stitches? over $900!!! This is outrageous and needs to change. Thankfully I now have insurance, but so many people don't and use the ER as a clinic which I assume makes these hospitals feel justified in charging what they do.

My daughter has a birth defect, lives with her mom in another state and is on my health insurance, but her doctors are considered out of network so my PPO pays very little for her visits and causes numerous bills to come to me even though I am insured. I want a public health care plan option to provide competition to private insurers on administrative costs and payments to health care providers.

Recently, my husband had to have multiple surgeries. Fortunately, we have bought private health insurance for him, since putting him on my policy was prohibitively expensive (20% of my net income) and his workplace does not offer coverage. His bills amounted to over $40,000, and I am grateful for the care that he received and for our insurance. Even WITH insurance, we will be responsible for paying between 5K and 10K. Our combined incomes are not over 75K, and with a mortgage, student loans, and car payments, as well as insurance, this has... (more)

Change the message from the government "taking over" healthcare to the government taking the "profit" out of health calamities. Please work on that message. Remind Americans that the public educational system, the military, emergency responses like your local fire department are all socialist systems. Social security and medicare are socialist systems. Win this media war!

My brother requires a medication for his rheumatoid arthritis that costs more than $1000/month. The insurance provided by his old employer covered much of the expense, but he lost that job, and now insurance under his new employer (ironically a hospital) leaves a gap of several hundred dollars per month. That's a lot to pay out of pocket each and every month. Every American should be able to expect quality health care without having to break the bank.

I have been uninsured several times in my life. On the heels of completing graduate school in a tough job market in 2001, I found myself uninsured for a period of several months after being let go from a job in downtown NYC after 3 weeks of employment due to the 9/11 attack. In 2003, I was again laid off from another position and though I had access to COBRA, it was entirely unaffordable. I went without healthcare at that juncture for nearly 6 months. I've worked since I was 15 and put myself through college. At these very vulnerable... (more)

I am a full time graduate student and my husband is a wildlife photographer. We have a 5 year old son and live a modest, simple life. We are all healthy and consequently my husband who will be 50 this year has never purchased health insurance, only "catastrophic" coverage if he goes out on a long shoot in remote places. I have health insurance with BCBS for my son and I, it's their PPO plan. Our plan was $115/month when we obtained the plan at the start of graduate school three years ago. It is now $371 with no change in our... (more)

My mother has always been a housewife. Watching her struggle as a single mother all my life, all I ever wanted was to see her comfortable and happy. I escaped poverty, and I have a wonderful job that doesn't pay very much money, but I am happy. Still, I see my mother with no health care, suffering from illness, and there is little I can do. We both work so hard, every day-- and still, every paycheck is a struggle to make ends meet. I'm worried I'll lose her if things don't change soon. I know there are many people like us, and we need a... (more)

I did not have health insurance from 1991 to 2008 because of the cost. Now I have medicare and I am shocked to find so MANY doctors who do not take patients on Medicare!

A great deal of our salary goes toward health care costs. I just found out my nephew who works at least 12 hours a day cannot afford health care and is unable to see a doctor. Many African Americans are dying from preventable diseases due to a lack of sufficient health care. If we are the richest nation in the world then why do we have so many Americans without proper health care? Something has to be done and we do not elect officials for just lip service. My next votes will be based on who has made an effort to fix this health care situation.

canadians can survive health problems without bankruptcy and complete financial devestation Americans should have as much to live for and live by

I watched my wife slowly die from breast cancer for almost eight years and can write a book highlighting US health care deficiencies. We had to fight insurance companies and an inefficient delivery system for almost every treatment. The US health care system is broken and if this country is to survive as a world leader we must have more efficient and more accessible health care for all. Look at other developed nations. They all spend less per capita on health care and have healthier populations. Something is seriously wrong in this country... (more)

Mr President, you have got to do something for the america people. Too many are going without proper medical care because the cost of insurance is too high.I was very sick 3 years ago with a condition that could have been taken care of in outpatient surgery. I did not have insurance and I was working for an employer that didnt pay enough let alone provide imsurance coverage.I went to the emergency room and they turn me out with a hand full of pain pills and strict instructions to get medical help immediately. for the condtion. They wouldn't... (more)