Kathy, Longmont, CO

My daughter broke her leg and had just received surgery when the time came up to renew the health coverage.  Her dad filled out the paper work wrong and she was taken off his insurance before the pins in her leg were removed!  He tried to fix the mistake right away but the insurance company said they would not reinstate her until the following year!  As a mother of a child in pain, I am still angry at the callous way we were treated by the insurance company.

If my daughter had not been enrolled as a student at CU, she would have had no insurance at all, but thanks to God we were able to sign her up for the student health coverage.  But she had to change doctors and was not able to receive full rehabilitation because it was not covered by the student plan. The additional premiums and extra out of pocket and larger prescription co-pays cost us nearly four thousand dollars!

Michael, St. Paul, MN

The health care debate just got VERY personal, I have been dropped, by my insurance carrier, because of the strokes I surveyed last fall. I have been turned down by all the other, Pay or Die Health Care Insurance companys. How under a program, that will take me, it will cost me 40% of what I earn, at 59 years old. We need universal health care.

Matt, Youngstown, OH

My wife and I worked in high technology, and both became independent consultants in our late 40s. We needed to buy individual healthcare coverage. Although we were both in very good health, we were denied coverage, because I used a statin drug to control high cholesterol. We were finally able to purchase a High Deductible Health Plan, which contained exclusions for situations that might arise from high cholesterol.  Thankfully, we have had no major medical problems. Even so, we found the Health Savings Account to be a paperwork nighmare, and can't imagine how it would be for a family with serious medical problems.

Fabiola, Orlando, FL

My family had health insurance through my husband's work. When he lost his job, we lost our health insurance. He is now working 2 part time jobs, and our family doesn't have health insurance.

We have 2 daughters, age 8 and 7. The oldest one suffers from daily mild seizures and severe ADHD. Her regular doctors appointments cost $300 each. We can't afford to pay this and only go when we must. The doctor recommended an EEG to help figure out why she was having seizures. I put $3,000 on my credit card to pay for the test. Unfortunately it did not reveal why my daughter is ill, and what next steps should be. We can't afford any more tests. 

Rev. Sparks, Lafayette, LA

As the pastor of a church in Louisiana, I often receive phone calls from church members who are in the hospital. When the mother of Connie, one of our members, went in for knee replacement surgery, I wasn't surprised when she called me up. But I was surprised when Connie said she wasn't calling to ask for prayers for her mom, who was fine.

Connie started to cry as she asked me to pray for another member of our church. The woman had been mysteriously sick for months and lacked health insurance. Connie suffers from similar symptoms and has a number of illnesses. She was crying because she worried about the family and their finances. Even with health insurance, Connie and her family struggle to pay their out-of-pocket costs for medication. Connie couldn't imagine how the other family could afford a diagnosis, much less treatment.

Sherita, New Orleans, LA

My daughter is 30 years old and was working at a state hospital and going to school to become an RN. She received decent pay and good benefits.

Then, she got Crohn's disease and lost her job, and thus her health care. She continuted her schooling, and got another job that made about $7 an hour. She purchased health insurance on the private market, which costs $384 a month and won't cover costs related to the chromes disease since it is a pre-existing condition. She has 4 doctors appointments a month that cost $60 each, $1500 payment for chemo every 6 weeks, in addition to her monthly premium.

We're doing what we can to support her, but with all these bills, we can't keep up. 

Christy, San Diego, CA

I have been blessed by God to have full Health Care coverage for myself and my four daughters and I am truly grateful! One of my daughters has had many kidney surgeries and procedures leaving her with 9% of one kidney and almost a full kidney on the other side but working hard for daily function.  My 5 year old has ITP which is a low platelet count which has caused emergency hospitalizations, bruising and fatigue, not to mention unstoppable bleeding....

Although I am grateful for my coverage, I am STUCK in my job in order to keep these health benefits because if I leave the Community College District, even after nearly 20 years of service, my daughters' healthcare issues become "Pre-existing Conditions" and would not be covered by most if not all other insurers.  I would not be able to afford the high costs of many more surgeries and procedures we will be facing in the near future.

Marsha, Kansas City, MO

I am a 49-year old bus driver.  My employer requires me to contribute nearly $200 a month for my health care coverage, and this doesn't include my two daughters.  With all the expenses of being a single mom caring for a family, I don't have the extra money to cover my daughters.

I also oftentimes postpone my own health care, because I cannot afford the deductibles and co-pays for doctor visits and other health care services. You pay all this money for insurance, and you still have to pay more for deductibles.

Michael, San Francisco, CA

In June of 2008, I lost my job of almost nine years when Morgan Stanley eliminated my position.  I am 55 years old and am having trouble finding another job.  I am slowly draining my savings, I pay $1,057 per month for Cobra health care. I cannot drop Cobra as my wife has health issues.  I am five years away from paying off the mortgage on my house, but my savings will run out before the mortgage is paid off, so I could lose my home of 25 years.  This the home where my wife and I raised our children.

Mary, Denver, CO

My husband worked for 20 years as a mechanic. His job required him to use chemicals and solvents, and he often didn't use gloves. In his forties, he developed a liver condition. Over time it got worse, and he became too sick to work. When he left his job, he also lost his health insurance. He kept getting sicker, and had to be hospitalized for 6 days. Following his release, he went to rehab for six weeks. The final bill, including, doctor bills, CAT scans, x-rays, and lab tests totaled $50,000.

At the time, I was working as a nurse, and had looked into adding my husband to my health plan, but the insurance company required that we wait a year. We had to come up with the money for the bill on our own. The hospital quickly turned over the bill to a collection agency which began to call us.

Thankfully, my husband recovered quickly and found another job.  But we spent the next seven years diligently paying off the enormous hospital bill.

Ashanti, New Orleans, LA

I am a single working mother.  My most recent job was as a paramedic for the city of New Orleans. Even though I've worked in the medical profession, I do not have health insurance.

In the summer 2006,  I was volunteering as a senior paramedic at an outdoor festival when I was thrown from a golf cart. I had to have surgery on my leg, and the medical bills added up to $28,000. I have not been able to pay this off, and am now close to $30,000 in debt, because of interest.

I am finishing up my undergraduate studies and studying to take the MCAT to become a doctor. I know what it's like to not go to the doctor because your only option is a long wait in the ER and a high bill. I don't want anybody else to ever have to experience this.

R.L., New York

Our son owns a photography studio in upstate New York.  He just opened up a second studio, and would love to keep opening new locations, but cannot do so because he cannot afford the health care costs of having more full-time employees on staff.

It's ironic that a man with so much ambition and entrepreneurial spirit is being curtailed because of medical insurance costs, especially at a time like now, when our country more than ever needs people like him to employ more workers.

M.W., Denver, CO

I am a single parent of 3 children.  In June of 2007, I was laid off from my job working for a large corporation where I had excellent insurance.  In April of 2008, I started working for a small business. 

As you may know, benefits for a small business are not that good in most cases.  If I were to get medical insurance for myself and my children it would cost me around $650 a month for medical only. So I am put in position where I feel I cannot carry insurance for my kids, if I want to keep them fed, clothed and housed. 

I do carry health insurance for myself at cost of $216 month, because I have a chronic illness and believe the risk of not having insurance for myself is too high.  Even so, I am afraid to use it because the co-pays are too high, and I can't afford another bill.  I have not been to the doctors since December of 2007 even though I have diabetes which requires that i use insulin to control my diabetics.

So I feel like I am in a catch 22. Andy beyond that, I feel bad that I am carrying insurance for myself but can't afford it for my children.  I wish that all of us could afford to see a doctor when we need one!

Bernie, CA

I am retired from my job and my employer would not let me continue my dental insurance.  Therefore, I have a major problem with a root canal that I could not afford to complete.  At this time the bridge has broken off and left a large open space in the front of my mouth.  It is like a wound that will not heal and I can not afford to pay the estimated $7000 for the replacement of the bridge and the open wound in my mouth that will not heal.