Recent Stories

I'm a nurse-midwife working in the Bronx since 1985 at Montefiore, a large medical center that delivers care to people of all walks of life. But many of our clients receive their care through the Medicaid/Medicaid managed care system--our present version of the public option. Over the years,a number of them have gotten good jobs with private insurance that allows them to choose private medical care. And many of those women have chosen to come back to our "public" care center because the care they get there is wonderful, personal and... (more)

I'm part of a growing majority of young Americans without insurance. In fact, no one I know has it. We simply cannot afford the costs of our premiums, or if we can, the coverage compared to insurance caps and out of pocket costs is not worth the amount we pay a month - which is why I just let my insurance lapse. I simply go without and hope I won't have to visit the doctor for an illness. Check-ups and visits to the dentist are something I can't even imagine for me in the future even though I suffer from tooth pain daily. It seems so unfair... (more)

I come form a single parent household on welfare, and unfortunetly my mother also had a drug problem. I had to drop out of highschool before my 16 birthday due to heath reasons. Through strength and a lot of ambition I am now a junior in college majoring in wildlife biology and minoring in art with a 3.8 G.P.A. I was on Tennessee's form of government healthcare, Tenncare, until i turned 21, which is the cut off age, and I now have no form of health insurance. I have already racked up hospital bills, I can not afford my medicine or the... (more)

Since there seems to be no other way to contact you... POart of the purpose of this health care reform is to provide health care for the poorest Americans. As one of the poorest Americans, I would like to say on behalf of myself and any other poor American who you have solicted to make long distance calls, to please have the courtesy to provide us with toll free numbers or the phone numbers of the local offices of the Congress persons, House and Senate, you would like us to call. My real story is that I had adequate coverage under... (more)

I've broken my leg because my landlord removed a safety rail from a set of steps. I'm one of the very few lucky American citizens to be insured, however, because of the circumstance the hospitals and doctors are refusing to honor my insurance. Instead I'm filing a lawsuit against my landlord in hopes that he has insurance. Meanwhile, I'm stuck at my house out of work and out of money to pay for day to day living expenses while the doctors tell me that I have to come up with a $6000 dollar down payment before they will see me. So much for the... (more)

I left my employer to be an entrepreneur 6 months ago and my business is doing GREAT. Being an entrepreneur was what I thought this country was all about. I was shocked to learn that I was on the auto deny list of every private healthcare company out there because of my past medical history and I am PERFECTLY HEALTHY! At the last minute, after trying desperately to get private insurance, I signed up for COBRA for me and my three children and my husband. After COBRA runs out we will have NO health insurance. Having been employed all my life... (more)

I will not contact my representative Chellie Pingree. Organizing for America are acting just like union thugs. This is not how we want our President to act. We need Congress to: pay off the national debt. put the dollar back on the gold standard. stop printing dollars and deficit spending. we want less government and less taxes. I want Congress, also, to audit The Fed and then end The Fed. They are not keeping our dollar strong, just the opposite and they need to be held accountable for printing and diluting dollars and manipulating... (more)

Hello Mr. President, I am single parent of two boys, ages 9 and 14. I recently suffered a major depressive episode at work and as of August have lost my work sponsored health insurance.The flu season is coming and I am worried for my family.My children and I are generally healthy, but I know that things usually happen when you least expect it. All Americans need and deserve some sort of basic health coverage. If it can be streamlined in the areas of administration and doctor/hospital charges this plan could really work. I also like the idea... (more)

My name is Lisa Sabella.I live in Tiburon California with my husband. We are both self employed, he is a contractor and myself a realtor. This year has been the most difficult year financially that we have ever experienced. We struggle every month to pay 1000.00 for our health care. At one point we had to go to my father for 3 months of health care costs 3000.00 so we would not be cancelled. I lost a very close freind 3 weeks ago yesterday, she battled pnuemonia for 6 months, she had no health insurance. The pnuemonia went to her heart. She... (more)

Dear Mr. President, 5 Nov 2009, 06:00 EST Please pass the "public option" without the centrist hacks. They and their industry-masters were entrusted with a third of our treasury to deliver healthcare to all, but instead collude to lavish on a chosen few. We're not talking about simple monopoly, but rather a racket that cares neither for the economy nor patients...... Because at the same time government policy segregates supply (maintaining artificial shortage and demand): industry... (more)

The current democratic bills will bankrupt America. They are unconscionable redistributions of our income directly into the insurers. I know what I'm talking about as my state of Massachusetts has forced us to buy private insurance for 3 years now. Our premiums went up 30% a friends rose 70% all in one year. The bills are ALL based on the Massachusetts mandate. Would you rather pay for full coverage at $6000 thru medicare or would you rather be FORCED to buy a policy full of holes, deductibles and co-pays for $14,000? Call your reps NOW... (more)

I don't have health insurance. I haven't had it for years. As an American Citizen, right now I have this right. I don't want to pay for my health care insurance.. and if I don't want to pay for my own health insurance, I sure the hell don't want to pay for yours. I have PERSONAL RESPONSIBLITY and take care of myself and don't look towards government to take care of myself. After the new Health Care Reform passes, I will be fined.. because it will be cheaper than paying 13% of my wages. After this government take over of health care... (more)

MY NAME ANGEL I BEEN SOFERING FOR 28 YEARS,CHRONS DIESES AND CANCER AND HELP HERE IN FLORIDA ITS NONE EVERYTHING ITS SO CARELESS THE LOOK LIKE THEY DONT CARE ABOUT PEOPLE EVERYWHERE YOU GO THERE EXCUSE ITS FLORIDA ITS A TURISMO PLACE THATS WHY YOU CANT GET HELP WRITE NOW I HAVE UNITED HEALTH CARE IN THEY SAID THE I RICH MY MAXIM IN MEDICATION AN THEY WOULD NOT COVER ANY INTO JAN NEXT YEAR SO I DONT HAVE ANY MED WRITE NOW BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY SPENCE BUT THEY WHEN JACK ME UP NEXT YEAR BECAUSE ITS MORE MONEY FOR US TO PAID NEXT YEAR THEN IN TOP... (more)

My 7 year old son has had 4 open heart surgeries. He has a mechanical valve and a pacemaker. He only has one lung that functions. He will require additional surgeries in the future. I am scared of healthcare reform - our HMO paid for 100% of his surgeries and his health care was excellent. Our premiums are well worth the price - without our HMO and the American healthcare system my son would not be alive today.

I am a 56 year old female unemployed with only my husband's insurance. He has a $2,500 deductible per person annually on his policy. The Prescription coverage is even worse. If it is a generic I have a $20 copy per month, non- formulary 35% of cost per month, and formalary is 50% of costs. As I have different issues and have 10 medications that I take daily and unfortunately even after trying to get as many generic as possible, so far this year my rx bill is over $4,000. I still have almost 2 months left, hopefully I won't get the flu or... (more)

My husband and I are self-employed. When he quit his job after 23 years to come work "for me", we had to purchase insurance on our own, without an employer subsidy. We pay almost $500/mo. in premiums for a $10,000 deductible plan, that has no preventive coverage included. We are basically gambling that we could afford $6,000/year, AND $10,000 deductible, AND the "20%" (more likely up to 40%, since the insurance companies get to decide what they think the service should cost, rather than pay according to that doctor or... (more)

My adult daughters 25 and 29 have not had health care since they turned 18. They both had H1N1 for a month. They missed 1 week of work and school each. It cost them money, as well as their employers. My husband has insurance but the Insurance Company charges outrageous costs. I am disabled, on Medicare, and enrolled for part D (A REAL JOKE) and Medica has denied me seeing a Doctor I needed to see even though Medicare normally would have. I have co-pays now, but should not have them because I am disabled. I had Prescription coverage for... (more)

As a nurse in the picu there are many times when I question the physicians decision to order physical and occupational therapy. For example, I took care of a patient with advanced stages of brain cancer. She was ventilator dependent and when she was evaluated for brain activity there was a consensus made that she would probably not survive for more than one month. The mother was in denial and she believed that her daughter was going to receive a miracle from God. Our physicians, despite their greatest efforts, did not succeed in convincing the... (more)

I give a birth to my daughter on August 2009. Sinse then I have no medical coverege for her. I did apply for Health Plus through local marketing office. Since then evrymonth I am recieving a phone calls from medicade office promissing that her application will be approved next month. I don't understand how this possible thet a three month baby can survive without medical coverege. I am a single mother working from paycheck to paycheck and can not afford an insurance. I hope my voice powerful enough to be heard.

I am 20 years old and have fibromyalgia. I went through 6 years of diagnosis. With my medical record, it is scary to think about when I graduate from college and am dropped my parents healthcare plan. If an insurance company even accepts me, it is going to be such a high cost plan, I might not even be able to afford it. I have so many health issues because along with fibromyalgia comes other diseases that are on my medical record like insomnia, tempomandibular joint disorder, costocondritis, etc. I need this healthcare reform. I know my health... (more)