Recent Stories

I lost my job at an LA-based law firm in Orange County in late 2005, but kept up my Cobra coverage until one month when I mistakenly thought I'd made the payment. Despite my appeals, they dropped me like a hot potato. Tired of battling the 4- to 5-hour daily commute to OC, I now work at my home-based business. The only independent health coverage I can obtain is through California's high-risk pool at a monthly premium substantially higher than my mortgage. I now either do without much needed health care, or I pay cash when I can scrape up the... (more)

I have never used a credit card, check or anything in my life and you know why im in bad debt....my health care bills....i had something lanced on the back of my neck and the wound was left opened to let it drain...the doctor had me come back every day and have the bandaged changed and drained more...my health insurance only covered about 1 visit and now im getting hit with a 700 dollar bill for just the visits alone not even counting the supply's and such....my options according to my health insurance were leave it alone and let infection... (more)

I AM A 40 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALE WITH DIABETES AND NO HEALTH INSURANCE. I AM UNABLE TO OBTAIN HEALTH INSURANCE BECAUSE OF MY PRE EXISTING. WE NEED TO PASS THIS BILL AT ONCE SO THAT PEOPLE LIKE ME WILL ABLE TO OBTAIN INSURANCE. FOR ANY SENATOR WHO DOES NOT WANT TO PASS THIS LET THEM GIVE THEIR INSURANCE HAVE A PRE EXISTING CONDITION AND TRY TO GET INSURANCE. I AM SURE THAT ONCE THEY EXPERIENCED WHAT IT IS LIKE LIVING WITH A PRE EXISTING CONDITION AND BEING UNABLE TO OBTAIN INSURANCE THEY THAN WOULD SUPPORT THIS BILL REAL FAST.

mrs president i am whith you.i never forgot your help in kosovo.i now everithing.i have to tel you alot abaut my kantry.they wooze killing me becouse i whot tu be demokrat, bat not like that in my kantry. belive in me. help me i am in santorini i whont to came in washington.dont forget they whont to kill me.save me.save me save me. do samething.thenk you

Healthcare is very important to all of us. I work for at a high school and I can't afford healthcare. The insurance is too expensive for me to allow them to take it out of my paycheck. That would be nearly all my money. I had health insurance in the 90's when I had a better job. At that time, it seemed more affordable. Now, as President Obama has stated the ever increasing cost of insurance premiums is too much for us to pay. Back when I was able to pay for insurance; I never used it cause I was not sick. So, I basically paid for nothing. Now,... (more)

My 24 year old son lost his job in December 2008. His father and I wanted to get him some health insurance. Because he is never sick and has not visited a doctor in years, Blue Cross required a certificate of health to issue the insurance. My son went to a UPMC clinic where some Doctor Einstein decided he needed $300 worth of blood tests. Because he had no job, he couldn't come up with $300 to get a health certificate to get health insurance. He is young, completely healthy and uninsured. Hope he stays that way!

The Closing of UPMC Braddock Medical Center UPMC Pittsburgh announced that it is going to close the UPMC Braddock Hospital. That will displace over 600 workers and leave at least 9 communities without their Hospital. They claim that Community Hospitals are no longer viable to there health care system. Is this part of the health care reform? Leaving mostly minority, lower to middle class communities without a close hospital, while UPMC is building a new larger hospital about 9 miles away. 9 miles does not seem far but in this area it... (more)

Our company went out of business, so I can't get COBRA. I can only afford temporary health insurance that would cover me and my son for 6 months. Luckily, I'm healthy and have no pre-existing condition, or I couldn't have gotten this insurance. I just found out this policy excludes college sports, so if my son gets seriously injured playing baseball, we will probably have to declare bankruptcy. I'm trying to get affordable insurance now, but it's hard when you are living off savings and unemployment. Why can't insurance just cover people... (more)

My name is Celia. I’m 58 years old and I am uninsured. My husband cannot afford to carry me in his health care plan because it is very expensive. I have some chronic health conditions and I have a huge pile of unpaid medical bills, the ER has been the only alternative that we the uninsured have when we get very sick. I wrote a letter to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas urging her to support health insurance reform and I was very disappointed when I heard back from her. I want to share with you what she wrote in her letter: Dear... (more)

I am dealing with breast cancer. I had the mastectomy last September. I have full insurance coverage with Mailhandlers from my husband's job. The day I got home from the hospital I was on the phone asking Mailhandlers why they won't pick up part of my anesthesia bill. This full coverage with Mailhandlers meant that I owed about $10,000 of outstanding medical bills that the insurance company won't cover. But this medical bill pales by comparison to the lack of quality in care I received due to the insurance company not allowing me to receive... (more)

16 Nov 2009, 6a EST Dear Mr. President, There is no "private" insurance. Politicians entrusted with a third of our treasury to deliver healthcare to all, instead collude to lavish on a chosen few....In a racket, not a monopoly, that cares neither for the economy..nor patients. Pass the "public option" by reconciliation, without the centrist hacks...... Because at the same time government policy segregates supply (maintaining artificial shortage and demand): industry blames the un-insured for risk, and the... (more)

I honestly don't have the strength to write all of Jens story. Jen was my 24 year old daughter in-law who died along with her unborn child 9 weeks ago. Since that time I have gone to every rally, worked on committees, I am a speaker for the cause, done videos and TV as well as interviews. I do it all for Jen, she no longer has a voice so I will be her voice... Yesterday brought new pain. I attended Rep. Lipinski's Town Hall where I was met by 400 teabaggers. I was chosen to speak and as I tried to tell Jens story they laughed and heckled me. I... (more)

I'm a recent college graduate who was just dropped from my parent's insurance. I applied for insurance and was asked a number of personal questions as to why I have to take anti-depressants. The insurance company decided that I could be approved for insurance but that any and all prescriptions from my doctor have to be paid out of pocket. I pay a $250 premium a month, the drugs I take cost $100 per bottle and I barely make enough to live on my own! We need a public option so the government can protect us from these companies whose only... (more)

I'm a 27 yr old hard working Husban/Father, working what seems to be a dead end job for $9/hr just to pay the bills and living here in Jacksonville, with it being a military town mostly all of the employees at my job are female and military dependents; therefore they have full coverage through tricare. That being the case my job by law does have to offer insurance but due to them not having enough people to sign up for the group health insurance anyone who does enroll has to cover the cost. It's not fair because the ridiculous cost of full... (more)

Hello, I am writing to let you know the importance of offering health care for all Americans because I am an American that has Multiple Sclerosis. I know first hand the expense and the worry of having a chronic disease at the ripe old age of 32 at diagnosis. Treatment of my MS is imperative to try to keep my disease in remission. Treatment is key but it is very costly. I give myself injections 3 times per week. The medicine I take costs $1700 per month! Thankfully I work for a large company and have benefits that pay for treatment of... (more)

Florida It seems to me that the biggest waste in Medicare is paperwork, unecessary tests and equipment and fraudulant claims. Recipients are offered free motorized scooters they do not need, eyeglass prescriptions and many other unsolicited aids by fraudulant companies. Many seniors take advantage of any free offers not realizing that they are selfishly taking away benefits of those who need them the most. There must be strict guidelines and laws that will prohibit this very lucrative crime against a program designed to provide healthcare... (more)

Florida It seems to me that the biggest waste in Medicare is paperwork, unecessary tests and equipment and fraudulant claims. Recipients are offered free motorized scooters they do not need, eyeglass prescriptions and many other unsolicited aids by fraudulant companies. Many seniors take advantage of any free offers not realizing that they are selfishly taking away benefits of those who need them the most. There must be strict guidelines and laws that will prohibit this very lucrative crime against a program designed to provide healthcare... (more)

Florida It seems to me that the biggest waste in Medicare is paperwork, unecessary tests and equipment and fraudulant claims. Recipients are offered free motorized scooters they do not need, eyeglass prescriptions and many other unsolicited aids by fraudulant companies. Many seniors take advantage of any free offers not realizing that they are selfishly taking away benefits of those who need them the most. There must be strict guidelines and laws that will prohibit this very lucrative crime against a program designed to provide healthcare... (more)

My son had an hearing and ear test in Luxembourg, Europe. It cost 50 bucks, of which I got 35 back by the Luxembourg Health Care Plan. As we were going to the US to visit family, I decided to get him tested there, as the US has the best health care in the world. I paid a 100 dollar referral fee, and 400 dollars for the test. The exact same machine was used with the exact same result. Only difference was the cost.

Im 61 years old as is my husband He worked 26 years at our local High School as a custodian He developed COPD ( Chronic Lung Disease ) and had to retire early anyways it left me with no insurance I have Diabetes and I went to have blood tests and they want all the money up front 245.00 Who has that kind of money. So I asked for the payment plan and was told there is not one HOWS THAT FOR THE KICKER WE DONT TAKE PAYMENTS we want the money now I cannot ... (more)