It's inexcusable that with all of our wealth, we are still unable to provide basic health care for all of our citizens. The time has come to enact real change in our health care system.

I am a working, tax paying United States citizen of 51 years of age, College educated and self employed. Currently I can not afford full healthcare. I have had healthcare but insurance companies continually raise the cost until I can no longer afford it. Even though I have not had any major illnesses. At this time in my life there would be only one option if I got really ill. No medical assistance. I see no point in going bankrupt for my healthcare - if when at some point I might be well again but have nothing but debt and likely be... (more)

I have Crohn's disease and am virtually uninsurable. I live everyday with the horrible spectre of an acute attack wiping out everything that I've worked so hard for. I didn't ask for this disease and am not to blame for it. Why should I be penalized? I'm afraid that too many people that have disease and sickness in their lives through no fault of their own will be left to die, as our leaders adopt the philosophy of "survival of the fitest.....or excuse me........"survival of the richest". Thank you for your efforts... (more)

I don't have a brilliant story. All I ask is that whatever is done is efficient. Every wasted cent is a cent that could be spent on healthcare for someone who can't afford it.

As a recent nursing school graduate, I completely support the president's decision to push for healthcare reform in the United States. I think that two of the president's three goals lie in the hands of nurses across the country...guaranteeing choice and ensuring quality care for all. I graduated from nursing school last week with honors and having been on either the President's list or the Dean's list every semester. I have applied for many nursing jobs starting back in March, and due to the current economic status, many hospitals are on... (more)

My father is 95 years old. A retired Air Force officer, who served his country for more than 25 years, he is now in a private-pay, 24-hour care facility with a secure unit. He has age-related dementia. The monthly cost, on average, is $7000. Thankfully, his military retired pay plus Social Security is enough to cover the expense so that he receives the best care available in a state-of-the-art, wonderfully-staffed facility near my home. However, I am well aware that there are many Americans who do not have the income to care for themselves in... (more)

I've been a Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetic for the past twenty years. While the spiraling rate of new Type II (adult-onset) diabetes in the past decade has brought much-needed attention to the disease, the resources from the medical and healthcare fields that are crucial to care of Type I diabetes has lagged very far behind the need. Insulin costs four times as much as it did in 1990. Test strips, critical for maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels and avoiding future complications, are still $1 a piece (I check my blood sugar 5-6... (more)

I have my Master of Science in Human Nutrition. Everyday I work to help people prevent disease. Seventy percent of chronic disease can be prevented through lifestyle change (Centers for Disease Control). Is enough being done in America to prevent disease? I don't believe we're doing nearly enough! Our food systems are deteriorating, self-care is a luxury, and seeing a health care provider, such as a Registered Dietitian, to prevent chronic disease before it occurs is nearly impossible. Medical insurance rarely covers care until a person is at... (more)

I am a Family Nurse Practitioner employed in a community care clinic serving the underserved. Each day the acuity and census increases as more American's lose jobs and healthcare. It is now time to finally take a stand and reform the very broken healthcare system so all people have access to quality, compassionate, affordable care/medications. Paula Giovanini-Morris

I have had Ovarian Cancer for seven years and have had four rounds of chemo-therapy. Thank God I am on Medicare and have a Plan B. My husband and I feel strongly that everyone has a right to good medical care. Medicare's single payer system may not be perfect, but it has worked well for many years and there should certainly be something close to this that can be worked out so all Americans have health care coverage. I always find it ironic that the very people who fight universal health care in Congress are the very ones who have lifelong... (more)

I pay between $700 and $800 per month for health insurance. I have not had to use my health insurance for anything major for at least 20 years. Dec. 24th 2008 I had a heart attack far from my home - in Florida. although my insurance is pretty good, I still had to pay at least $5,000. Here is the saddest part - the very first phone call I made from ICU was to my bookkeeper to be sure my insurance was current. Did I call my friends or family that day? No, I had 1 phone call and it was about insurance.

I am a family physician. Sadly, I have patients daily who refuse recommended care, treatment or diagnstics, because they cannot afford them. I look forward to a time when we are all covered for reasonable health care issues.

I am one of the lucky ones who has great health care, however every year we have to pay more and more. I have several autoimmune diseases so I see my doctors on a regular basis. I am now part of a lupus study at UCLA. If for some reason I didn't have health care I wouldn,t be able to even get out of bed. If I didn't have a good rx plan I wouldn't be able to get out of bed either. I do believe we need to somehow get health care for everyone in the usa.

I work at a hospital. Every day that I am here, I see people that decide not to go through with a procedure or test. This is due to the fact that their health insurance company denies payment or their copays/deductibles are too high for them to afford. It is heartbreaking to see people that are terminally ill or in a lot of pain, have to stress out and worry about how they will pay for necessary procedures and tests. My significant other had a heart attack 2 years ago. He is not able to afford health insurance on his own and his... (more)

I support the three principles and I think we will not achieve them while trying to appease the insurance industry. We need a single payer system, lots of testimony,documentation, evaluation, history in other nations to bear that up. It is going to take the voices of millions of citizens and the courage of a leader to face down the opposition, business (You know that is wrong. We are talking about the health of a country.) as usual. I spent a lot of time helping get you elected and the only disappointment is with regard to health care. You... (more)

Our country desperately needs health care reform. I am 29 and do NOT have health insurance. Sometimes small health issues arise, as any healthy young adult might have happen. I cannot do any preventative care because I am unable to afford health care. Now my health has gotten worse and I will need to go into debt to take care of myself. It may cause even more of a burden on society. I have volunteered my time to good causes and worked very hard at nonprofits - none of which have been able to afford to give their staff health benefits.... (more)

My brother-in-law's sister died 2 months ago. She had no health insurance. She was diabetic, hypertensive, and probably had cardiovascular disease. She tried treating herself because she couldn't afford doctors visits and meds. She died of a brain hemorrhage, most likely due to the hypertension. I am a nurse and I see every day patients losing their jobs, health insurance and see them struggle through the maze trying to get some sort of coverage. Yes, I would like to help if I can.

I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, bipolar disorder, essential tremor and many more health problems. When I had to leave the last job I had with insurance, the cost to COBRA my insurance was 4 times higher than what I paid while working. There is no way I could have afforded to pay that, so I lost my coverage. Now, I have CICP- the Colorado Indigent Care Program. The only doctors in town who take it are in clinics that provide patients with little time to consult with their dr. and overworked, underpaid physicians with a chip on... (more)

A dear friend of mine has Alpha-1, an auto-immune disease that is frequently mis-diagnosed by its symptoms, which includes COPD, diabetes & liver failure. As the disease progresses, more (and more powereful) medications are required. He is unable to work and his Social Security & Medicare does not cover his medical needs. His situation is heart-breaking. During our weekly phone calls, I hear him struggle to breathe: he tells me of his increasing difficulty with fuzzy thinking because of his oxygen intake; he is too "well"... (more)

How GOOD Health Care works! I have experienced very good health care that could be used as a model for our national system. 1) As the child of an active-duty military man, ALL of my health care all over the country & in Europe (incl. dental & eye care) was supplied by Government employees (socialized) until I was 21 years old and out of college. It worked well and there were few delays, even though active duty personnel had priority. 2) When I was visiting friends in Stuttgart (single-payer) as an adult, I got really sick. I got... (more)