Heather Dehn-Brastad, Little Falls, MN: My husband and I are self-employed and we have four boys. Until this spring, we had MN Care insurance for a reasonable rate and excellent coverage. However, this year we made over the $50,000 income cap. We searched high and low for alternative private insurance. We applied for coverage, but two of our children were denied (one has tubes in his ears for recurring ear infections, the other has well-controlled asthma). We were unable to find anything else we could afford so we decided to go without. My new saying to the boys is: "Be careful! We don't have insurance!"

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Dan Robinson, San Francisco, CA: My wife was directed to go to the ER when complications arose following surgery. The hospital and doctor were in our network. But we ended up with a bill of $500. We appealed to the insurance company who told us that although the doctor was in-network for most procedures, he was out-of-network when he worked at the ER. We had no way of knowing that an in-network doctor at an in-network hospital would result in these charges. Insurers must be more closely regulated. The U.S. should adopt the type of single-payer plan that works so well in Canada.

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Allison Johnson, Minneapolis, MN: My health care system has not failed me in the least. The system does not fail to treat diabetes and obesity, rather, individuals fail to take care of themselves and as a result incur diabetes and become obese. Where is the individual accountability?

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Laurie Filipelli, Austin, TX: I followed a dream of working for a nonprofit. The job had no insurance, just a stipend to put toward an individual plan. I stayed on COBRA coverage, even as my premium went to $500/month. In Texas, there's no mandate that maternity be covered. My coverage ran out on January 31st. Our daughter was born on February 6th. The birth had no complications. The bills so far have totaled over $18,000 entirely out-of-pocket. Health care is a basic need. I'm shocked and fearful that the debate has turned so inhumane. It's not about the particulars, but the fundamental picture of how people care -- or don't care -- for one another.

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J. Tipan Verella, Milwaukee, WI: Let me start by saying that I am not an American citizen, but rather a permanent resident. When I was attending college in the state of Maryland, I failed to notice that I had overlooked payments to my health care provider. I was therefore dropped. A medical emergency later on brought me to the nearby hospital at which I was provided with great medical care and assistance. The issue of course came a few weeks later when I was sent the bills totaling $10,000+. I was a senior in college and graduated nine months later entering the job market with a $10,000+ debt. I spent the next five years paying this debt, for the 10 hours I spent at the hospital.

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Virginia Carlson, Milwaukee, WI: There may be many ways to address the cost of health care, but let me choose my pet peeve: coordination of benefits. I estimate I've spent 500 hours on the telephone with insurance companies trying to unravel snafus over the course of the last ten years. In part, this was because my husband and I had jobs in different states ("living apart for the paycheck") and the systems across states couldn't "talk to each other." I can't imagine what this situation, facing many couples across the US, cost us in terms of productivity and time lost. Only a single-payer system would avoid this mess.

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Jan Rohwer, Northfield, MN: Our family deductible is $5800 per year and that is just about what it takes to cover our basic health care needs. We each get one wellness check per year, but beyond that we pay for it all. I find I put off things until absolutely necessary. Last year I ruptured a disc and had months of physical therapy. We will be paying off that bill for some time yet and I now feel guilty for what seems a luxury! I come from Australia so this whole system seems barbaric to me. The worry that so many people live with in and of itself is bad for your health.

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Mark Knapp, Brooklyn Park, MN: I'm unemployed and paying for my health insurance through CORBA. I was let go before the start of the government program that pays for part of the cost of COBRA coverage so I've been paying $500/month/person for my coverage. I've had no problems with seeing my doctor and getting care but my expectations are not overly high. I don't expect that my doctor can fix everything.

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David Usher, Colchester, VT: We are adequately covered by Medicare and my former employer's prescription drug plan. We also have catastrophic/high cost coverage form my former employee as a retiree benefit.

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Randolph Carter, Raleigh, NC: Our system is broken. My company recently changed health care providers and the process included filling out a five page form detailing *any* possible pre-existing conditions that could be used to exclude us from coverage. At the age of 48 I am becoming afraid to have a check-up. If they do find something serious, I fear I will never be able to get insurance again and, given the cost of health care, I'll become homeless. Our system has run away from us. It is costly, time-consuming, and full of unpleasant surprise traps for patients. We need an alternative.

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Eric Steckler, Los Angeles, CA: I was insured by Health Net. One month before I turned 50, I received notice that my premium was increasing by about 50 percent simply due to a change in age. A few months later, my premium went up another 50 percent as part of their annual increase. In a matter of a few months my premiums doubled. I am in good health, but I no longer have medical insurance because I have been unemployed for 20 months and can't afford it at the unjustified increased rates levied by my FORMER health care provider. My age bracket unfairly puts me in higher rate tier regardless of my health.

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David King, Oklahoma City, OK: I lost my job in January and have not been able to find work. When I was working my insurance cost $800 a month with high deductibles, the same price as my house payment. We were always making just enough money to get by. Every time I would get a raise a couple of months later my insurance would go up more than my raise. In effect I was getting a pay cut every year for the past seven years. My wife was able to get insurance with her work but we could only afford to cover her and our two children. We are tired of handing all our extra money to insurance companies.

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Yontan Gonpo, Sandpoint, ID: We now have public health care in this country, the Veterans Administration, Congress, government employees and Medicare. It all works just fine and cost much less than private health care which covers only what it is forced to. Politicans and the insurance companies are responsible for this travesty and must be stopped.

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Kathie Noga, Minneapolis, MN: I go to chiropractors and pay out of my pocket, since I am uninsured. I am chemically sensitive and can't use medical doctors because I can't tolerate drugs very easily. I find chiropractors are more effective in their care with allergies and chronic conditions then most medical doctors are. The chiropractors charge less because often they are not covered by insurance and have to be affordable because of this. I think wholistic MDs, naturopaths,herbalists, and accupuncturists should be covered. These practitioners are the ones who truly practice prevention all the way.

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Kathy Mattson, Minnetonka, MN: We are pretty healthy and come from families that were healthy and people who lived long lives. But my son, whose insurance I pay through Minnesota Care, cannot work because of a back problem and chronic pain, and we worry about him. He has been waiting for many years to find out if he qualifies for Social Security disability, and we still do not now if he does. My other concern is that doctors are very quick to treat illnesses like his (chronic pain) with drugs - powerful, addictive, dangerous narcotic drugs - rather than looking for better alternative methods.

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Shauna, Reston, VA: We are a family of four. We have a $5,000 yearly deductible which makes us pay every time we visit the doctor and we can't write any of this off our taxes. We are also paying about $200-$300 per month in premiums. Our son is six years old and Autistic. We had discontinue his alternative therapies because none of it was covered. My husband and I can't afford therapy to help us deal with having a special needs child in our life. We haven't taken the children to the doctor for their check-ups because of the cost. My chiropractor visits are not covered. I cannot afford to go to the doctor for PMDD medication and a procedure I need to help my menstrual cycle is not covered by insurance. My husband hasn't had hernia surgery because of the cost.

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Janee Smith, Sacramento, CA: The harassment of patients from insurance companies must end. If the patient is very poor, they will be taken care of by Medicaid. If the person has worked most of their life, paid taxes and built up any savings or retirement, they're punished by having to go into bankruptcy to pay for any chronic illness. After experiencing with my mom the terrible practices of insurance companies, I'm anxious for health INSURANCE reform. She has had good care, just terrible insurance problems. I fear no matter how many laws we pass, insurance companies will always find loopholes to refuse payment.

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Anne, Metairie, LA: My real concern is about mental health care. In Louisiana, individuals cannot purchase it if it is not provided by an employer. In other words, it is impossible to get it where I live unless my employer's plan happens to have a mental health component. I can function very well if properly medicated, but my medications are so expensive that I spend a significant percentage of my income on them. I have not heard anything about mental health in all the discussion of healthcare reform.

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Susan Fyock, Eden Prairie, MN: I like my Doctors, the problems are administrative. I recently had a mammogram. In the following three weeks, I received four documents in the mail, all explaining my benefits, two telling me I owed money and two telling me I owed nothing. Having spent 25 years in HR, I know how to read these forms, but I feel for those who don't. Wasteful paperwork, stamps, crazy.

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Jane Sullivan, Chicago, IL: When I came back from the UK where I was covered under NHS under my student visa, I had to go to the doctor for a checkup. The first thing the reception desk asked for was an insurance card rather than "Hi, how are you?" This shift was devastating because I got used to the other system where I could ring up and get a 20 minute appointment with the GP, get my smears and blood sugar tested and never get a bill or some crazy reading that starts with the words "This is not a bill. But you may be charged....'" I was living in a small rural university, yet the doctors had out-of-hours for emergencies. I had friends there who couldn't find work, but they never put off the doctor for lack of funds.

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Craig Crispin, Portland, OR: We are significantly above average income as a family, but my small business has experienced such high increases in health insurance costs that we consistently have to cut benefits each year. Preventive care is not often provided, resulting in more expense in the long run. I want to see my friends and neighbors able to receive medical care, not just those like us who happen to have the resources to pay. As an employment lawyer, I see the stress caused by the loss of health insurance when my clients lose their jobs, or the huge COBRA requirements they cannot meet without a salary.

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Michael Jefferis, Minneapolis, MN: I have always had access to decent medical care and have been effectively treated for chronic medical conditions. Insurance costs, however, are threatening my economic well-being. I pay $900 for a state pool policy, which is about $300 less than I would have paid for a COBRA policy. I pay this high fee partly as a property insurance cost; I don't want to have an uninsured medical disaster and be bankrupted. Over the years I have spent a lot of money on individual policies I would otherwise have invested for retirement.

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Charlene Olson, Glen Ellyn, IL: I had ovarian cancer surgery in 2006, resulting in bankruptcy. I have had three surgeries this year and will be having surgery again. I also am in chronic pain since my full abdominal hysterectomy. Last August I was hospitalized for six days due to high stress about work and bills. I am on long-term disability through my work and every month fight with them to get paid. I pay around $300 a month for medication and $75 for health insurance. I am $13,000 in debt with credit cards paying for meds. I will no longer be able to afford them in about 2 months. I HATE THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, AND I HAVE INSURANCE ! I live in Glen Ellyn, Ill., one of the richest counties in the US and the majority of people I know DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE.

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Gary McNally, Blaine, WA: I am self-employed. When I can afford health care, I pay with after-tax dollars and the plans available to my small group cost too much and cover too little, compared to big groups. My wife has type 1 diabetes, and can never get on my plan or any plan at all without excluding diabetes and the damage it causes. We moved to Washington from California partly because they have a state program that covers pre-existing conditions, but since last October we have not been able to afford the rapidly rising premiums. Last I checked they were up 30 percent in three years for very limited coverage.

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Briana Franco, Austin, TX: I had an emergency surgery that left my dad in debt in 2004. It was the removal of my appendix, which probably did not need to be removed because I still have the same stomachaches I had before. I did my own research and feel I know my body more than any doctor who rushes me in and out of their office, giving me sample prescription drugs to swallow like candy. I have four wisdom teeth that make my jaw and head ache, and blurs my vision but after graduating college I have not been able to find work where health insurance is an option. So, I can't afford to get these teeth removed yet.

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Steve Eisenberg, Bigfork, MT: My deductable is $10,000 per year for my Blue Shield coverage for my wife and daughter and costs me $4000 per year. Drugs are not covered. My daughter is bipolar and her drugs cost me $300 per month plus medical care for her costs me my entire deductable every year. My Medicare supplement costs me $1300 per year. We are basically healthy with no issues. What happens when we have a medical issue? Currently I'm spending around $20,000 total for medical care excluding what I pay for preventive care which is also not covered. I am 66 years old and can't retire because of this.

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Linda McMahon, Minneapolis, MN: I planned to be semi-retired until I was old enough to get Medicare, but my health insurance that I am allowed to keep until then at the COBRA cost has gone from $350 per month to $510 per month in four years. I am unable to change insurance due to a pre-existing condition, so I will continue to work full time until then. I am fortunate that I have found a way to do this at home, so I do have more flexibility than in earlier years.

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Simon Wiltshire, Minnetonka, MN: My son has neurofibromatosis mercifully relatively asymptomatic but we take him in for periodic MRIs to check on it. This caused him to be declined for our personal insurance after I left a group plan and started working for our own family business. I was rejected despite an otherwise healthy record based on one incidence of kidney stones. My wife and I are covered by BCBS but we pay combined monthly premiums of over $650 for which we receive no coverage until each one of us has received at least $2,500 in services.

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Michelle Grua, Flagstaff, AZ: As a physician, I order multiple tests daily on patients who I know from experience don't need certain tests, yet I order them to protect myself from liability. We cannot have health care reform without tort reform. I do not deny that there are some bad apples in the medical field and don't wish to deny patients the ability to receive monetary compensation for truly negligent actions; however, the bottom line is that as long as lawyers have the incentive to pursue that one case with a multimillion dollar pay-out, there will continue to be frivolous lawsuits driving defensive and unnecessary costs to the system.

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Philip Harris, Somerville, ME: I am 60 years old. I am an educational technician for a school system in Maine and that is where I get my insurance. My contribution to the plan is very high. My wife is 52 and she is covered under my plan. She is self-employed and has no access to insurance. In a couple of years I hope to be able to get Medicare. However, I cannot stop working because my wife will not be 62 for 10 years. If I leave my job to retire on Social Security, she will have no coverage. Therefore, I will have to work until I am 70 just to ensure that my wife has coverage. Of course, what happens if the school system cuts back and I lose my job?

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Louise Patterson, Round Hill, VA: I am going through expensive treatment for cancer right now. I have no idea how I could afford this without very good employer insurance. Now, I am worried about the long term cost of insurance. I want to retire before 65 but I'm afraid that I won't be able to get coverage at a reasonable price due to my health history, if I no longer get employer coverage.

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Bob Amerigo, Houston, TX: 1. I had a brain tumor over 20 years ago. Surviving brain surgery is good. I lost most of those 20 years to illness because the doctors I saw had a poor understanding of the impact of anti-seizure meds on an existing hypothyroid condition. A few years ago, I found a really good thyroid doc in another city. I'm feeling pretty healthy now. I can't use my employer-provided health insurance for visiting my good out-of-town doc because if he followed their treatment rules, I would cease to be healthy.

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Craig Wiesner, Daly City, CA: My father began experiencing hallucinations and his HMO doctor put him on Abilify. He went over a cliff mentally. Emergency mental health professionals told me he was on the wrong medication. When I asked his HMO psychiatrist to change meds she told me to mind my own business. I moved him to California where he goes to the VA (he's a WWII vet). They quickly took him off Abilify and saved his life. The care from the VA has been absolutely superb. I never have to wait for appts, he gets to see the specialists he needs to, pays nothing for prescriptions, and everyone in the system has been wonderful.

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Dan Moyer, Mt. Gretna, PA: For military retirees, things really couldn't be much better. If you add the VA for service-related conditions, you're totally covered. As a career Army officer, I've experienced "socialized medical care" my whole working life and retirement. Totally satisfied, and just can't understand who would oppose such a system. Maybe I should be selfish, and figure that my medical care will be degraded if the system is opened to all. I do accept universal health care will cause stress to the system, savings will come downstream and shortages will exist, yet in the end believe the nation can't afford to continue down the failed path we're on now.

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Al King, Olympia, WA: Over the past five years, I had a heart attack, six ER visits, my wife had breast cancer and I recently was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Treatment was quick and efficient. I have never had an argument with my insurance provider or my physicians. My total out-of-pocket during that entire time was less than $5,000. That may seem like a lot of money to some, but considering the total costs, we were delighted to pay that small amount. My wife is a RN and has never seen anyone turned away from hospital, even illegal aliens. The bill before congress will destroy the health care system completely.

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Beth Pollock, Fort Lauderdale, FL: The American health care system is a disaster for everyone. Care is rationed by insurance companies. They make it such a pain for people to get payment for covered treatments and services that it has a negative impact on productivity. All businesses, large or small, are paying way too much and getting way too little in return. Get injured running or playing tennis? You'll find yourself filling out forms to say that no one else is at fault and that no other responsible party can be dinged for your medical expenses. All this while your provider waits for payment.

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Laurie ShoulterKarall, Chicago, IL: I am working a job that utilizes none of my talents for the sole reason that I need insurance. I have a pre-existing condition, which disallows me to purchase insurance on the open market. The healthcare I receive is excellent, but I am my own advocate and work with my doctors to receive evidence-based treatment. I had to turn down a wonderful, rewarding position at a not-for-profit organization where my skills could have done more to change the world because they offered only minimum health insurance.

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Kepa Askenasy, San Francisco, CA: I was in a catastrophic accident and taken by ambulance to the local trauma center. This center was not in the network of my Blue Cross policy and the bill for two nights in the ICU came to $40,000. Blue Cross paid only $25,000. They also only pay for 50% of the ambulance bill.

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Danette Steinwall, Bloomington, MN: I changed jobs and tried to buy insurance in the private market, but my husband and daughter were denied coverage due to pre-existing mental health conditions. We couln't afford Minnesota's State High Risk Pool plan. I had to change jobs again.

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Wendy Coburn, Eugene, OR: I have not had insurance from a job since 1997! My husband last year became eligible for SSD ONLY because he was diagnosed with peripheral artery disease. He also was choking and going into convulsions due to a doctor who left a polyp in his throat back in 2002. The terms of the Oregon Health Plan are so unrealistic: we have to live on $941.00 per month, and I can earn only $280.00 a month. If I go over that, he loses his coverage. I also can't apply for Oregon Health Plan until next January, until he is switched to Medicare, so I am putting off my own health care needs, including screening for the aggressive form of colon cancer that killed my father and grandmother.

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Brad Leeser, Moorhead, MN: While I have butted heads with my insurance carrier a few times over the years, I have had a very good overall experience with health insurance. My son is in law school and is not insured by choice. He doesn't want to pay for it and neither he nor I want to have every taxpayer pay for it as subsidies. He chooses to be uninsured and is concerned that that is one more choice the government might take away.

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Hillary Johnson, Hyde Park, NY: My brother, 61, is seriously ill with hemachromatosis, a hereditary disease that has gone untreated for years because he works on contract and rarely has health insurance. He could have a heart attack or stroke at any moment, he cannot walk, and yet he can get no health care. I have suffered from a severe disabling chronic disease for 24 years and have survived only by having SSDI and Medicare, but I am very poor as a result. I was a successful magazine journalist, and author of two books, but I can do almost nothing today. My illness, named "CFS" by the Centers for Disease Control, has been shuffled aside as a psychiatric condition by federal agencies unwilling to acknowledge existing science, or conduct their own research.

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Joseph Selby, Danville, CA: We have had great difficulty with claims processing. Frequently claims must be submitted repeatedly for payment.

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Yan Kravchenko, Plymouth, MN: I have a chronic condition that was diagnosed last summer. This was my first in-depth experience with the health care system. I am disappointed on many levels. I am now subject to a pre-existing condition waiver, so I had to close my business and get a job. Currently I am covered through my wife's policy, so closing my consulting business and getting a job was to hedge my bets. The idea of paying for my medication or treatment completely out of pocket is terrifying and would certainly bankrupt my family in less than a year.

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Dennis Milosky, Mill Valley, CA: Generally, we have very good coverage. We are covered under a PPO. One of my frustrations is the levels of approval required to ensure that tests and procedures that my doctor recommends are actually covered by our plan. This puts an added burden on our health care providers and on our family to follow-up and ensure the various approvals have been obtained. If not, it becomes even more complex to resolve issues once treatment has been provided. The system puts a huge burden on everyone involved and creates a huge amount of waste in the system.

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Suzi McArdle, St. Louis Park, MN: My best friend lost her life due to not having insurance. She was laid off from a job that she had for many years at a hospital, couldn't afford COBRA and went uninsured. She wasn't a healthy person due to mental illness and the drugs she had to take to stay normal had to be monitored. She went into a diabetic coma, was hospitalized for several months, and eventually died with a hospital infection. She went to a free clinic before her coma, but the volunteer health care worker was not able to do a blood test at that facility, and by the time the results came back, she went into a coma.

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Olga Ponce de Leon - Bolhuis, Jersey City, NJ: No problems to date but we are increasingly concerned about health care for our aging parents.

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Ken Tomcich, Arlington, VA: I have excellent coverage, but am concerned about those who don't. I am equally concerned that when those who currently don't have coverage get coverage, there will be an increase in demand for doctors, nurses and medical facilities and will hinder my ability to get prompt medical attention. Health care planning must consider the need to train more doctors and nurses and build more facilities to serve the increase in population requiring medical care. Emergency rooms can't provide the service now nor in the future. We need to build a better medical infrastructure.

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Cliff Johnson, Smyrna, GA: There is a false promise in the debate that you can have all the health care you want at little or no cost, which will ultimately lead to rationing. Therefore, my 88-year-old mother will be one of the ones whose "health care rights" will be denied in deference to younger citizens - and even non-citizens here illegally. The injustice of taking away healthcare rights of one who has built this country, paid her taxes for 70 years, and been a good citizen, will lose out to someone who showed up last year illegally? Generally, the healthcare rights of the prematurely born, terminally ill, and elderly will be denied as healthcare is rationed. They will be told to take one for the team, to die with dignity.

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John Thompson, Lake Oswego, OR: Both my wife and I are retired physicians and are now "consumers" of health care rather than dispensers of it. No one in Washington is discussing controlling medical malpractice litigation to reduce the cost of care. The Obama plan tends to restrict the care that Medicare patients can expect, but says nothing about the amount of money spent on tiny preemies and all the organ transplants that are done. For the last total hip replacement I did, in 1988, Medicare paid me $3,300. Currently this procedure brings less than $1,500.

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Cheryl M., Clayton, CA: My concern is cost and availability of care.

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James Webb, Tuscon, AZ: The cost is increasingly outrageous/onerous and the value of services diminished per Wall Street's "profits before people" expectations and demands.

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Clare Gilliland, Rome, GA: My husband is an Alzheimer's patient. Th cost of Alzheimer's drugs are very high for the elderly on Social Security.

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Philip Shalen, Snowmass Village, CO: My wife pays $10,000 plus per year for a $5000 deductible policy that increases in cost every single quarter. I had a similar policy prior to joining Medicare. We are retired and except for our home mortgage payments, medical insurance is our largest expense. I know our experience is not unique. I've no positive or negative experiences with Medicare as I've only participated for one year.

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Mary Jane Coats, Amarillo, TX: I had an opportunity to join a start-up company after losing my job in a merger. I thought I had enough cash saved to get through the first two years until I priced private insurance for my family. The monthly price tag broke the deal and I ended up taking a job with a company with benefits. The cost of health insurance and the lack of affordable alternatives is one of the main reasons folks can't take the kind of entrepreneurial risks so critical to our country's economic health. My 27-year-old daughter lives in Scotland and can move freely in any career direction without having to consider health care.

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Mark Long, Minneapolis, MN: My wife and I have had an individual insurance plan for over 10 years and the cost has risen an average of 10 percent per year. We are self-employed and know a number of other self-employed people. There is no question that the first thing you ask yourself before you start a business for yourself is can I afford health care, not will someone buy my product or service. The cost of health care absolutely is crushing innovation and entrepreneurship. We will close our business and find jobs that offer health coverage if nothing is done to curb costs in the next 10 years.

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Jack Hill, La Farge, WI: I'm self-employed and can't find any affordable health insurance plans for a two person business. I recently developed a 103 degree fever which ran for about six days. I decided to go the the emergency room where I was ridiculed for not having a serious ailment worthy of an emergency room visit. It was determined I had a tick bite and was treated for Lyme Disease. The bill was $7000 which is about a third of my annual income. As the responsible payer for all our family's health care needs, costs are completely out of control.

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Joyce James, Green Valley, AZ: First, health insurance premiums for our family, with the same coverage and the same insurer, taken from my husband's pay stubs, increased 1037 percent over a 15 year period and earnings only increased 87 percent. The private insurance companies have not controlled skyrocketing costs. Although our current insurer has negotiated a lower rate with some doctors (called a Preferred Provider Plan), I have been billed for more than the correct amount at least twice in the last six months. Too much paperwork and administrative complexity adds unnecessarily to the cost.

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Mark Grayson, Louisa, KY: What is the alternative to what we have now? Could we just keep what we've got?

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Tracy Cummings, San Diego, CA: My sister was a very poor woman and died suddenly at age 39. Four months after her death, her autopsy said she died of brain cancer, undiagnosed because she didn't have health care. At the end of her life, she was working to get government coverage, but it was hard. Her story is meaningful because it's one that many in our own, great, country face: No health care. No money. No quality of life. We can live in a country that treats its people well, or we can live in a country that lets people die without any help or concern. I would rather live in a country that supports its people.

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Katie Wheeler, Ashland, VA: I have very good insurance. I choose a high-deductible plan as I don't see doctors often and this keep costs down. However, the high price of medical costs scares me, especially as I get older. Also, I have an adult child who is not working and has no health coverage, and that bothers me. I think a large part of our solution must be malpractice reform to remove the threat of large payouts for small errors not driven by corruption.

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Silvia Hall, Boca Raton, FL: We have been lucky because even when we did not have health insurance, we never got really sick or got into an accident, etc. We were worried about it though. My husband's company switched insurance companies in January because the health care plan we were on was way too expensive. We paid $1,600 monthly for a family of four with no pre-existing conditions. Our payments now are $1,100 monthly but we have to pay 20% co-payment with in-network physicians, which meant I paid $126 dollars for my GYN visit. If I really need to see another specialist, I will think about it or I will call ahead, ask for the price and then I will decide if I make the appointment.

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Rich Lague, Seattle, WA: I have been a physical therapist since 1977. During my career I have seen several people get sick, lose their jobs because they couldn't work, lose their health insurance because they couldn't afford COBRA, then lose their homes and go bankrupt. Observing this made me realize that private insurance, even when provided through employment, doesn't represent health care or financial security. I would like to be insured through a plan that would have no incentive to discontinue my insurance. The best way to do it would be through a publicly funded and publicly administered insurance plan.

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Margaret Edgington, Hillsboro, OR: We as a society pay a huge cost for our spotty and unequal health care system. I'm a 55-year-old married woman and my husband's employer provides excellent health benefits. My oldest daughter, caught in our miserable economy, was not able to find a professional opening in her field, so she went to work in Japan teaching English. When she arrived in Tokyo she enrolled in the national health care plan. She pays about 5 percent of the whole of her paycheck and was covered immediately. I have to contrast this with what is in existence in the US. 17 percent of GDP spent for health care in the U.S. versus 8 percent in Japan. Universal coverage, versus wildly uneven coverage and results of care.

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Rebecca St. Marie, Bishop, CA: Right after I was laid off of my part-time job and lost my insurance, I became seriously ill. Without insurance it cost me more than $10,000 worth of tests and medical care to discover that I have Celiac Disease. I had to declare bankruptcy because I couldn't cover the costs. Now I am working part time again at a new job but still have no insurance since I now have a preexisting condition. Either companies won't insure me or it's too expensive. The only real solution for me is to hope that the government will be able to offer me something soon. Our health and well being are at stake here.

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Terry Hamrick, Raleigh, NC: A few years ago I was laid-off and was without insurance for a while and was deeply concerned that it would bankrupt the family if something happened.

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John Evanoff, Indio, CA: Dental and Vision care through my insurance is almost negligible.

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Brent Anderson, Minnetonka, MN: So far I still have health insurance, and my company is doing well financially so they are able to subsidize more than most. However, I've gone from paying nothing out of pocket to paying $1,200 per year out of pocket within the span of five years. Same with my dental insurance. I recently had some major restoration work done - on my old plan, it would have been covered 100%, but it didn't happen until my policy changed and I ended up in debt to the tune of $20,000 mostly on credit cards because that's all I could get to cover the cost a few years ago.

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Harry Butcher, Macon, GA: Because of cost, I've carried only major medical coverage. Many doctor(s) will not see me because my insurance does not cover their fees.

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Zachary S., Tacoma, WA: I have juvenile diabetes and cannot really get health insurance in the U.S. Normal quotes for health insurance policies exceed $800 per month for an individual plan for me that would not even begin to cover the regular prescription drugs and tests that I need as a diabetic; it is a crash-and-burn policy in the event of serious injury, hospitalization, etc. The process of getting insurance companies to pay claims is arduous, even though I am a lawyer and my dad is a doctor. Rejected for U.S. coverage, I ended up moving to Korea, where my health care is phenomenal. It far exceeds even the best private insurance I had in the U.S. when I was covered under my family's plan.

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Rose Juerling, Indianapolis, IN: I'm a single mom with no child support. I was laid-off from a full-time position with medical benefits in January. Just prior to that, my son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes requiring daily insulin shots. I was not able to pay for COBRA so I put my son on Medicaid. Since then, I got a consulting job without benefits but good money. I can afford a private policy for myself but because of my son's diabetes, a pre-exisiting condition, he is uninsurable privately. Now my son will lose his Medicaid because of my income and he simply will "fall through the cracks" in the system.

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Brooke Purves, Sacramento, CA: I've had an overall positive experience with my health care coverage. When I was earning under the poverty level, I had adequate government coverage. When my husband became employed full-time, we had coverage through his employer. For a short period we were in-between jobs and COBRA insurance was too expensive. We paid $250 a month for catastrophic coverage. My only real complaints concerning my personal experience are that I don't have the range of doctors to choose from that I'd like and that my HMO never paid for a home birth.

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Marie Lorbiecki, Minneapolis, MN: My husband passed away 20 years ago leaving me with two young children to support. I had no choice but to go without health insurance for them and go the route of the 125 plan -- putting away pre-tax dollars each year to cover dental and health care needs. It was a risky venture, but it worked out. Now the cost of insurance is so high that my daughter is now having to cancel the insurance she has carried on my one-year old granddaughter. I am worried about an emergency that would cause them to lose their home.

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Pam Raidt, Louisville, KY: I am fortunate in having a good health insurance policy through my employer, but I have family and friends who are not as fortunate. My 62-year-old brother has been self employed for several years and pays $800 per month for his HMO. He was recently diagnosed with cancer and has qualified for Social Security disability because he can no longer work full time. However, he won't qualify for Medicare for another two years. The disability payments are not enough to cover both living expenses and the cost of his health insurance.

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Dixie Grothe, Excelsior, MN: The medical doctors don't know enough about finding and addressing the cause of degenerative diseases and are too busy treating symptoms with drugs and surgery. Some is necessary in an emergency but often drugs are prescribed with the statement that "you may have to take this prescription for the rest of your life". There are very few alternatives given as to how to return to good health.

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Carl Gibson, Morehead, KY: I suffered a serious hand injury last winter and the ER, while expensive, is the only option for people who suffer injuries after office hours. My doctors were exceptional and the care flawless. However, I did notice that 80% of the time I spent in the hospital wasn't on getting care, but on wading through the endless insurance bureaucracy. I feel if I had injured myself in a country that had a single government-sponsored insurance program, my doctors could have spent their time being doctors instead of insurance couriers.

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Ed Martin, Fort Worth, TX: My family doctor for 20 years refused to see me when I went on Medicare. I finally found a doctor who would see me for severe ear infections on a one-time only, cash up front only, basis. Now, when I need to see a doctor, I must pay the full amount of money up front. Medicare was supposed to be for people who don't have the money to pay for medical care, but if you still have to pay the full amount up front, what good is Medicare? It does me no good at all.

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Mary Sive, Montclair, NJ: My husband and I are in a single-payer system - Medicare - now wildly popular but 40 years ago derided as "socialized medicine," so payment is not the problem. My frustration is with the lack of coordination among the various doctors and poor communication all-around. Why won't doctors use e-mail.

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Richard Holt, Melbourne, FL: Not a 100 percent -satisfactory experience. I've had to endure the "oops, well, that's the way it is" sorts of mistakes, etc. I thankfully avoided two urologists who desperately wanted to do surgery---contrary to previous 3 urologists that told me to "watch it". MANY more "tests" now insisted upon. Also, my daughter has trouble getting insurance in Grad School.

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Donald McClain, Lakewood, WA: We have excellent coverage.

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Lois Cowing, Prescott, AZ: We are extremely lucky, because we planned ahead, but I worry about my friends, children, and grandchildren. The United States is too wealthy a country (even now) to have so many people without good health care. Obama is doing his best, but big business and Republicans aren't helping. One thing that I feel strongly about is not cutting payments to doctors who take medicare. They often deserve more!

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Fred Frederiksen, Dallas, TX: I don't work, so I don't pay federal taxes and am able to survive. I'm afraid of being forced into buying health insurance when I don't have a job, which would guarantee that I go bankrupt instead of maybe go bankrupt in the event of medical emergency.

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Clare LaFond, St. Paul, MN: I have a high-deductible HSA with 100% coverage after deductible. I was self-employed but then became disabled. It has been two years since I first applied for social security disability. During the time that I have not been earning but have been living on my savings, there has been no tax deduction for my health care expenses that an employer or self-employed individual would get. So I pay more for insurance because I'm not part of a group plan, and I don't get any tax deduction for those payments -- a double whammy.

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Marzia Zafar, San Francisco, CA: I'm a healthy 36 year old with insurance, but even a routine visit to the doctor costs a lot of money. I have all these deductibles that basically say I have to pay up to $2000 before my coverage kicks in. And my vision insurance totally sucks. It covers the first $110 and that's it. I have a high pressure in my eyes, which tends to cause glaucoma. Routine check-ups to diagnose this problem are not covered.

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Brian Ayres, Valrico, FL: My wife and I got the run-around from Humana for the costs of delivering our second child in 2008. We did not have the right "pre-authorization" date to have our daughter, who came a week early. When the bills came in, Humana did not pay a dime. We had to call the hospital, which changed the date so payments could kick in. Next our daughter had to return to the hospital a week later because she was not eating properly enough. We saw a specialist who was not in our network and we were nearly stuck with the entire bill until my wife called and argued with the insurance company, saying that we did not have a say in who was on call. The doctor charged more than $2,000 for a 30-minute consultation and instructions to the nurses.
Zoom in!

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Jynx MacTavish, Bishop, CA: I'm a 45-year-old woman who has never had health insurance. In my working life I have worked for a newspaper, small businesses, the Park Service, a catering company, and am currently a freelance graphic designer. *None* of the employers were required to help me pay for insurance - all of them were quite careful to keep my working hours below the amount where they would have been required by law to provide benefits. There is absolutely no way that I can afford any kind of health insurance; it's absurdly, prohibitively, laughably expensive for someone my age and income.

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Brian England, Columbia, MO: I have a small business and employ 18 people. Every year it gets harder to provide health insurance. In the past 12 years rates have gone up 400 percent. Making matters worse, we get older and our rates based on average age go up. If a 60 year-old had not left last year the rates would have gone up an additional 20 percent! So now when we chose between employing a 30 year-old and a 60 year-old we know the older person brings higher costs. This is the insurance system affecting the employment of older people. I should be able to employ who is good for the job and not worry about insurance.

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Kathleen Gray, Brooklyn, NY: I'm a single person. I've not been without health-care in my adult life. Even as a kid growing up working class in Arkansas, we had generous access to community health clinics during a period when my family was without health insurance.

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John Retar, Mentor, OH: I am 46 and am in good health. If I am smart and take better care of myself I will continue to be healthy. I have had a very good experience with health care: getting in to see a doctor for flu shots, fractured wrist, bad poison ivy, sinus problems, etc. I have a $25 copay which has been steadily increasing over the years. When I was 30 I had a ruptured appendix and spent a week in a hospital. My care was very good. I had a 80/20 plan with my insurance and had to pay almost $2000 out of pocket. That hurt me for a while but the insurance was willing to work with me.

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Nicholas Chope, Minneapolis, MN: We don't have any woes due to health care. Our employers provide good coverage for a good price. That said, I don't think it should be the employer's responsibility to provide health insurance, but there's not another affordable alternative. Insurance companies provide group rates to businesses and I think that system should be scrapped and that individuals should be able to get those better rates. After all, isn't the US population one big "group"? I would much prefer to maintain my own health insurance so that if I lose my job, I don't lose my health insurance.

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Cecilia Hennessy, Lafayette, IN: I've worked in a lot of part-time jobs that didn't provide health care options. I've gone years without coverage and I know this is a common American experience. If there were a government program that I could buy into for a nominal cost, I would have readily done that. Dental and vision need to be covered as well, as eyes and teeth are part of a healthy body. Why do people insist on separating these? Also, I really think that employer-based health care is holding back businesses by imposing costs upon them that businesses in other countries don't have to shoulder.

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Laura Eidlitz, Flushing, NY: My employer just switched our health care plan as a way to save money. We now have a huge deductible, and it's causing some workers to get insufficient care. I'm also looking at starting a small business and wondering how I will afford to pay for my own health insurance.

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Wendy Mosconas, White River Junction, VT: The healthcare system in this country benefits by keeping people sick instead of keeping them healthy. I have seen Medicare and Medicaid program patients discriminated against because the healthcare system doesn't think the programs pay enough. I have also seen the Medicare and Medicaid programs ripped off by the healthcare system because they feel that the programs somehow deserve it since they don't pay enough. You will never fix our healthcare system until you fix the root of the problem. I would lean towards a healthcare system that is run entirely by the government so that the healthcare system gets the same payment for everyone and profits by keeping people healthy instead of by keeping them sick.

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Joyce Hoehn, Parma, OH: My family members are well-insured. But, I am single, in my late fifties. I have not had an employer pay for health insurance in seven years. I cannot afford the cost on an individual plan for someone my age. Fortunately, I am doing fine. But I do not have the luxury of getting the tests recommended for maintaining good health and often cannot afford the cost of an office visit. I truly fear having to go to a hospital with no insurance card and being turned away.

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Marilyn Gilbert, Port Washington, NY: My parents were lured into a Medicare-alternative-HMO in the '80's. The gatekeeper primary care physician, rewarded for keeping costs low, neglected to treat my mom's illness properly with appropriate specialist visits. She was down to 92 pounds, hallucinating, so I took her to the HMO-affiliated ER, where they continued to fight me on proper care. She had to be hospitalized, and then go to a nursing home for three months to re-balance. I fear for-profit medical plans and plans so complex that ordinary people can't function within them.

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Elizabeth Dundon-McIntyre, Souderton, PA: When I was a single mother with a lower income, the state provided free healthcare for my children. When my income increased, I was no longer eligible for this service. I was able to purchase healthcare through my employer. Although I received government healthcare I do not support the President's healthcare views and think that any federally-run system is bound to fail. The government will be more intrusive over time as to what healthcare choices I am allowed to make. Thinking that any federal government healthcare care "business" is good for business is, well, stupid. Who can possibly compete with the government? All they have to do is raise taxes and print more money!

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Jack Hodges, Moss Beach, CA: By and large I consider myself lucky. I have held jobs and all my jobs have provided health care coverage. It is true that as the amount of coverage has gone down, the copays have gone up, the cost of medications has gone up, and the insistence on using generics has gone up, but I still have coverage. It is also true that it is difficult to see specialists for things you would just expect.

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Gunther Steinberg, Portola Valley, CA: Dentist fees seem to be set more or less like gasoline prices, which are set by zones. Once I got a whopping bill for a procedure that required less than 20 minutes. My dentist commented that his are "fees for service", not how long it takes to do the job. If I wanted lower fees, I would have to go to another city in this or a neighboring county.

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Michael Rose, Leonia, NJ: Every claim we need to fight for. If the doctor has two addresses on the bill the insurance declines claim. They costantly lose claims and deny others. It has been a war with them. This year the cost for my health care went up 35 percent, so we are paying $1700 a month for a family plan. Most doctors do not accept it so I pay up front and fight for the reimbursements. It has been a nightmare.

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Susan Hasti, Minneapolis, MN: I'm a physician working in a community health clinic. 50 percent of our patients are uninsured, most of them work. I find that I can't do what I was trained to do because often the patient can't afford the treatment or the test. It's truly heartbreaking. Furthermore, trying to navigate the insurance demands of my patients who have coverage has become an administrative burden beyond belief. I now do two hours of paperwork for every four hours of patient care. The addition of the electronic medical record has made my care less efficient, it takes extra time to document office visits so I can see fewer people.

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Donna Leslie, San Francisco, CA: I was laid off three years ago when my employer went under, and the health insurance I was paying for under COBRA went away as well. Because I have a pre-existing illness the insurance company refused me continuing coverage. My insurance broker fought with the insurance company to retain my coverage, but my payments went from $327.00 to $600.00 a month. Fortunately I found another job a couple of months later and only had to pay this exorbitant fee for a few months. If I didn't have a broker (courtesy of my former employer) I most likely would have lost coverage. The broker told me she was given misinformation, forced to call numerous people again and again, and basically given the runaround before she was able to get me coverage.

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Pamela Firebaugh, Eagle, NE: My daughter has a jaw abnormality which causes so much pain that she has to take morphine and percocet for "breakthrough" pain. We just moved her to Lincoln. Absolutely no doctor would see her because of her insurance. The dentist took her records to the Univ. of Nebraska College of Dentistry and showed them to an oral surgeon. She has to wait until the students come back, and then she can see the professor who doesn't take her insurance with the understanding that students will also be seeing her.

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Declan Sheehy, North Port, FL: We just relocated from Dublin, Ireland where we lived for 2 years. While Ireland and all of the EU has public health care, Ireland has a two-tier system. If you are unemployed you are covered by the public system and your health care is basically free. It is not perfect but every person has coverage. If you are employed or have the means you can purchase supplemental insurance and if you need medication then the maximum you will pay each Month is Eu100 ($140.00) per month. Now that we are back in the US we are basically without coverage until we find jobs.

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Tara Ronda, Sicklerville, NJ: My husband and I are fortunate to have a good health insurance plan through my state employer. Each year I am putting more of my salary towards the cost of insurance, my co-pays are rising and I have limited dental and no vision insurance (which I think must necessarily be a part of a complete health care system). With the limitations of my insurance on lifetime expenses, I'm concerned that if I got a serious illness that I would end up bankrupt and in debt for many years. Insurance in this country is in a terrible state and penalizes people for becoming ill.

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Paul Smith, Georgetown, TX: I worked for Fortune 500 companies my whole career. They provided good health insurance but coverage for psychiatric care was poor. A member of my family had severe depression and I had to pay most of the cost out of pocket. I had the resources to do so, but it put a severe crimp in my retirement savings. I am retired. Medicare is my primary health insurance. I support universal health insurance. The best way to provide it is by reforming the private insurance system and helping people who can't afford to buy insurance obtain it. I don't favor a government option.

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Gary Payton, Hattiesburg, MS: I feel far more comfortable with "government bureaucrats" making decisions in the health care system because they are accountable to me. Corporate bureaucrats merely seek their own profit at the expense of the citizens and aren't accountable to anyone but stockholders. The system needs to be designed so the interests of stakeholders don't run counter to the well being of the patient. The govt. does a mighty fine job with the military, the postal service, etc. but somehow it can't be allowed to run a heath plan. It's a "free market" is it not? Let them participate!

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Amy Kaplan, Boulder, CO: My grandson Liam was diagnosed with a genetic degenerative muscular disease, which requires that he use a power wheelchair his entire life. His parents' private individual insurance policy (Assurant Health) denied coverage based on intentionally arbitrary language, that such a wheelchair "... does not qualify as Durable Medical Equipment that WE determine to be covered." On appeal, his parents were told, "You should have read your policy more carefully before giving birth to this child." After a national "outing" on Good Morning America, Assurant offered 13 months of rental on a manual wheelchair, despite protestations that "we treat all our clients equally."

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Shannon Wohlman, Burnsville, MN: I have a doctor I absolutely love and trust. She has done a wonderful job managing my conditions, and was the first to take time and listen to my concerns. When I switched to my husbands plan (cheaper with better coverage) I discovered she is out-of-network. Now I'm faced with the decision of having to find a new doctor because we can't afford to keep her. We are both full-time students, and working (myself full-time), so it's difficult to make ends meet. We often wonder if we should scale back our health insurance plan to save money.

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G.G., Hampton, NH: I grew up without health insurance.

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David Thomes, Minneapolis, MN: I am in my late 20s, and am between school and a well paying career. Currently I work in restaurants, where no employers provide benefits at all. At my current income level of $25,000 a year I have a hard time paying rent and keeping reliable transportation. The result is I have decide to pay for the car, or to pay for health insurance. As a younger person with no immediate health issues on the horizon I am more or less forced to forgo health care and pray that I don't get sick. At this point my "affordable health care" is a YWCA membership and a healthy diet.

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Robert Enright, Stuart, FL: I am very well covered.

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Donald Parrish, Hellam, PA: We really have no complaints under our present plan.The usual cost for Doctor visits is a $15.00 co-payment. Why would I ask for something more expensive?

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John McLucas, San Rafael, CA: My wife and I have been most happy members of the Kaiser Permamente Health Plan for many years; before and after retirement. The system is excellent and care is top notch.

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Graydon DeCamp, Elk Rapids, MI: We live in a community with excellent health services, and are very satisfied with our insurance. I cringe whenever I some politician says we have to "fix" Medicare. I have had two detached retinas in two years requiring five surgical procedures and ongoing medication. Thanks to outstanding physicians, superb hospital service and care, and Medicare, I still have good vision. The total gross hospital, physician and pharmacy billings over 24 months easily exceeded $50,000. My out of pocket expenses have been less than $1,000.

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Sherman Schapiro, Blue Lake, CA: I'm self-employed and do not qualify for a group plan. I must qualify as an individual and the only affordable insurance has a high deductible and out of pocket limit to reach That's why we need a government option to make insurance more affordable. Also, I live in a relatively rural area, four or five hours from the nearest major medical center. It is difficult to recruit doctors to practice here so there is a limit of good doctors to choose from.

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Paul Zurawski, Washington, DC: Every treatment/test I have had has been quick and efficient --- so I'm failing to understand what all of the problems are.

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Pamela Capin, Eveleth, MN: I recently had surgery for cancer and was referred to Abbott Northwestern hospital by my gynecologist because there were no gynecologic oncologists in the northern part of the state. Being a single person, my sister accompanied me because I couldn't drive myself home. The 200 mile drive two days after a hysterectomy was painful. I have BC/BS insurance but my out-of-pocket expenses were high enough that I had to pay bills off or put them on credit card. My payments will stretch over the the next year and with the required check-ups and tests for follow-up, it will be a while before it's all paid off.

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Jeffrey M., Maple Plain, MN: Our health system is the best in the world. Now we are starting down a path of destroying the mechanism that created the best system in the world and bankrupt the government in the process. The 'free' health option will only lead to overutilization, long waits and a bankrupt government. We also need to eliminate drug advertising on TV and have widespread malpractice reform. There will be more lawsuits under a government program if they put in the cost controls that are needed to make it successful. Right now the controls are not in the bill.

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Lutz Scherneck, Dolgeville, NY: My wife and I have seen our parents either lose their homes or sacrifice large portions of the money they had saved to pay for their medical care in their last years of life. Their choices for care were dependent on insurance agency in-network requirements rather than a doctor's care. For years we have contributed to health care and when we need it we are told by non-medical insurance bureaucrats what we are allowed to have.

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Carol Miletti, Mound, MN: I have a rare disease and my health insurance including deductible runs $900 a month for just me. I am only able to work part-time due to this disease. Half of my income goes to pay for health care. I have little left for other expenses. I do not feel like I should file for disability. I still feel like I can contribute to society, but the cost of health care is going to do me in. I work just to pay THAT bill and I'm close to defaulting on other bills right now. I have to prioritize -- and it's health care if I want to live.

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Christopher Shea, Remsenburg, NY: I own a small business and have a small business insurance program. My policy is up for renewal in September and the increase in premium is 22.9 percent! We have to reduce coverage (increase deductibles and co-pays) in order to limit the increase to seven percent. I will not be able to continue to pay the insurance costs at this rate of increase. The money we are putting into health insurance is money we cannot invest in growing our business.

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Paul Hanson, Duluth, MN: Health care is a right, not a privilege. People should not have to be concerned about getting health care if they have a legitimate health issue, big or small. Every system will have flaws and people will take advantage of it. Today's health system discriminates against veterans, elderly and poor. I have decent insurance, but private business is attempting to whittle away at it yearly.

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Victor McDonald, Denton, TX: I feel that health care should not be treated as a commodity. My insurance and hospital costs should not be a for-profit system. Health care professionals (doctors, nurses, technicians, etc) should be paid well for their training, education, and dedication to duty but an insurance company or a bureaucrat or someone on the board of directors of a hospital should not make money off of health decisions of others. It is counterintuitive and I believe counterproductive to my well-being.

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Fred Muhlenberg, Vienna, VA: Why must the health care system be changed all at once? This idea never worked in any other industry, why is it expected to work now? In any proposed health care reform, will Congress continue to utilize their special coverage subsidized for by taxpayers? Will individuals be permitted the choice to decline insurance? Will hospitals and doctors be permitted to deny treatment to those who are uninsured? Will those who continue to engage in risk behavior be denied further treatment for their conditions?

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Andrew Allagree, Sacramento, CA: We have spent seven months milking the American health care cow for a pittance of benefits. Please understand, though, how grateful I am that I at least live in a country where there is some help for brain stem encephalitis. Nevertheless, the system, in many aspects, is beyond the most hellish labyrinth one could ever venture into. The agency furloughs now in effect here in CA result in massive hardship and inconvenience. Then there's feeling like you're begging just to survive as human being, much less as an American citizen with certain rights.

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Jeffrey Sankoff, Denver, CO: As a Canadian physician living and working in the U.S. for the past six years I have no problem at all saying that the current system of health care in the U.S. serves no one except the business interests that continue to see rising profits.

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Peg Schadt, Johnson City, NY: My husband and I were married for more than 30 years, with six children and a comfortable life. In the late 1990's Dick became ill, his doctors said to go home and put our affairs in order. To get Social Security Disability Insurance it took three denials, a lawyer and two- years' wait. Then another two-year wait for Medicare. During that time our insurance company denied our claims for every reason they could think of: his medicines were experimental when they had been around many years, fees and costs exceeded costs for our area, and of course the tired excuse of a pre-existing condition! After all this we filed bankruptcy and faced foreclosure. The family broke up and Dick died a few years later. This is shameful.

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Gary Anderson, Rockford, IL: I am a physician, and think the current system is very broken. We spend far more on health care than any country, but rank well down the list for overall health. Our system is the top cause of bankruptcies, we pay the most of any country for drugs and medical devices, while preventative care, prenatal care, and vaccination rates are way too low. My wife and I are basically healthy, but pay over $8,000.00 for poor quality insurance with a $5,000 deductable. Our insurance challenges nearly every medical encounter. One of my daughters lost her job, and now has no coverage at all. No one in their right mind would design a system like this. We should start over and redesign our system to provide at least minimum coverage for all Americans.

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Suzanne Young, San Francisco, CA: I've been self-employed since 1991 and have maintained a health care policy. I'm now at premiums of $10k a year with total out-of-pocket costs at an additional $6k (this is just for me; my husband has a separate but similar policy). I recently had a major diagnosis that required two surgeries, one in December, one in January -- two calendar years, two out-of-pocket expenses to meet ($32k including premiums). Who are the people on the news screaming about government-run health care? Haven't they ever worried about losing their jobs and their insurance? This is positively stifling financially.

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Bonnie Frerichs, West Burlington, IA: We have to get a referral to an out-of-network doctor. The doctors in our area are refusing United Healthcare because their re-imbursment rates are lower than our state Medicaid! We recently received a "new" provider list that is the same as our older one. It lists doctors that are no longer in this area. We have a teaching university about 80 miles from here, and they don't accept Secure Horizons (United Healthcare) in any of their clinics anymore.

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Tom Breunig, Portland, OR: After a layoff, the COBRA plan was more expensive than an independent family plan. Insurance coverage for an eleven year-old healthy boy was declined. We were forced to put him on a completely independent insurance policy for the uninsurable, significantly adding to costs. My daughter and I were both turned down for insurance because of one occurrence of walking pneumonia. We were asked to wait six months before reapplying and were without insurance for that time.

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Deborah Carpenter, Staten Island, NY: My mother has diabetes, diverticulitus, high cholesterol and arthritis. She knows that diet and exercise are important, yet she has not substantially changed them. My father died from a combination of Alzheimer's disease, cancer and heart disease. All of these conditions were preventable. I have been vegan for 20 years. I exercise regularly. My health is perfect and I look far younger than my chronological age. When I do seek care, I go to a massage therapist or traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.

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Elaine Munro, Pepeekeo, HI: I'm a BlueCross member. My rates went up 15 percent recently to $540/month for a single woman age 61 and I couldn't afford it, so I chose another BlueCross plan for $299/month, but it excludes drugs. Even with retail drug prices I save $2000/year. But, one drug for insomnia costs $1,500/year! I did some research and found that a comparable drug, at a higher dosage level is 80% less than the same drug at a smaller dosage level (from $541/mo at 7.5mg but is $40 at 15mg)!! My doctor was unaware of the cost difference, so I'll have to convince him to prescribe the larger dosage (I'll need to break open the capsules and throw out half the dosage, but that will save me from paying the extra $500/month on the drug). Unbelievable!!!

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Henry de La Garza, Houston, TX: I am 62 years old and have more than 10 years of excellent health documented by a medical doctor who says my body fat is where it belongs. I engage in aerobic exercise and light weigh training 4 to 5 days a week. I walk the golf course for 18 holes and carry my bag and clubs. I don't smoke and enjoy two or three glasses of red wine a week. My health care premiums are higher than my house note and higher than my wife's -- who has pancreatic cancer and is taking chemotherapy. I have a $2,000 deductible but never come close to exhausting it every year. My neighbor is older and smokes daily, and he pays the equivalent of one-fifth of my monthly premium.

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Lynn Pruette, Cadwell, GA: My primary concern about health care is the pre-existing condition issue. Last year I was diagnosed with cancer. Gratefully, I was given a clean bill of health last week. However, I am currently in a job that is too physically demanding after the surgery, yet am trapped because I cannot walk away from the insurance. Ultimately I will lose the job on performance issues and be out of insurance regardless. My prayer is that Congress will have come up with something before that happens.

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Rinea Lucia, Joshua Tree, CA: I was terminated from my job. Then, I had my COBRA discontinued by the insurance provider because I had trouble getting my benefit check and it came too late to make the 45-day payment. I have a serious health condition, which requires expensive medication (about $1,000) per month. So, you can see why the insurance provider is not interested in helping me. I only have to pay $185 approx per month for my COBRA on the Obama plan.

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Carlos da Cruz, St. Paul, MN: Before my first layoff, my company covered 80 percent through Health Partners. Before my second layoff, that company's health plan covered only after I paid a co-payment of $5000. Now I do not have insurance for one year and if I have any health issue I just go to Walgreens or Target and hope there is something there to fix my problem. It scares me to think that something serious could happen to me. My budget is very limited.

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Jean Blackwood, Huntsville, MO: I'm a 58-year-old woman trying to get back on my feet after divorce. I'm trying to get work but it's not easy for someone who's been out of the workforce for many years. I have several health problems and I seek medical attention when they're extreme enough to demand care. Otherwise I deal with them through over-the-counter meds, supplements and a healthy lifestyle. If I do find a job that offers insurance I may find that I can't get care for my pre-existing conditions. All I can hope for is surviving until I'm old enough for Medicare, seven years away, if Medicare survives that long too.

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Sharon Roehm, Akron, OH: I was recently admitted to the hospital based on the results of an emergency room CT scan. Because the hospital to which I was admitted (the one where my family doctor had privileges) was under different ownership than the emergency room, I had to have a second CT scan. As it turned out that was okay since the results of the first scan had been interpreted incorrectly. But the lack of cooperation between institutions and the incompetence of emergency room physicians is really scary.

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E.B., Rochester, NY: Works well, though cuts at hospitals seem to reduce the quality of care. Technology improvements over the years have been very impressive.

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John Geisler, Spring, TX: My wife will have a hip-joint replaced in November. Our biggest concern was that we could not compare one supplier's cost with another's. The doctor recommended that my wife get a shot in her hip to relieve the pain. He could not tell me what this would cost. He said, "Don't worry I'll send your insurance info," along with my order to the hospital across the street from my office. To make a long story short, when we got to the intake desk at the hospital the service person wanted to know how we were going to pay for today's hospital charges. There were also radiology charges! The hospital could not tell me how their charges were arrived at and the radiology department couldn't tell me how they would code out this procedure. It cost us around $429 for this visit--is this good or bad, I don't know?

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Michelle Hobbs, Edina, MN: I have Medica through my employer, the Mpls. Public Schools. We also have Medica family coverage through my husband's job. The MPS is a huge group and my husband's pool is under ten employees. However, the MPS policy has high deductibles and copays and is FAR inferior to my husband's policy. I recently had an ER visit and the MPS policy would have cost $1200 the cost through my husband's was $0. The discrepancy is ridiculous. I assume it's because my husband's group is young and in good health, while the teachers as a group are older and have many health concerns.

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Susan Link, Binghamton, NY: I am a person with a disability and a parent. My husband had a brain aneurism and died from a heart attack at age 40. He had maxed out on his health insurance so when he passed away that left me thousands of dollars in debt. My son suffered acute pancreatitis that left him in a coma for several months and left us over a million dollars in debt. Because he was 19 at the time of his illness Medicaid would not help us. My own disability has deteriorated and I am worried what will happen to my son and I. The Community Choice Act is so important for thousands of Americans like me. I beat the odds to be a successful member of society and I refuse to think that as an American citizen I should be thrown away in some institution. I have more than paid my dues.

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Margaret Smith, Canton, NC: My family and I live in western North Carolina (rural Appalachia) in an area well known for its low income levels, few opportunities for employment, low pay and high level of self-employed people. When a serious illness strikes, family or friends stick jars (with the situation labeled on it) on convenience store counters requesting help. For the more prominent community members, neighbors get together to host a benefit concert or dance to help with medical bills. Most of us just die quietly and prematurely after a lifetime of hard work and paying taxes. I am on Medicare, my husband has health care through the VA, and my son has no health insurance, but needs it.

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Anna Ourada, Burnsville, MN: I was without insurance for six months after graduating college before I found a job with benefits. During that time I was turned away from an emergency room after a car accident because I didn't have insurance, even though the other car's auto insurance took care of the cost. My mother is without health care so she doesn't see the doctor when she needs to. We have had to pay for needed cancer screenings out of pocket. American health care needs to be less dependent on personal insurance.

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Darielle Dannen, Minneapolis, MN: My husband is a doctor but he doesn't have health insurance. He is a contracted employee and they don't offer insurance for him. My employer only has an expensive plan and doesn't pay anything toward the spouse's health insurance. At this time he's young and healthy and so he is going without insurance at this time. We will probably get him individual health insurance but it seems like a scam -- if he got hurt they would deny him anyway so we just don't want to pay money into a system that probably won't help if needed anyway.

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Richard Ziehler-Martin, Pasadena, CA: We just found out that our insurance company would no longer pay for my wife's seizure medication if a generic version was available. Our prescription bill would go up fivefold. This is despite the fact that her doctor signed paperwork stating that the name-brand medication is better for her health. My wife also reports less side effects with the name-brand over the generic. It's infuriating that the insurance company gets to decide what my wife's medication should be rather than her doctor. The decision is based purely on the insurance company's self-interest.

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Kevin Crystal, Chanhassen, MN: My wife has cancer. Our insurance has done a wonderful job of covering tens of thousands of dollars of medical expenses.

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Christopher Meacham, Madison, AL: My insurance doesn't cover diagnostic testing unless my test results are positive for a particular disease, even if I have family history. I have BCBS. It also doesn't cover my brother's addiction treatments, which would prolong his life if successful.

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Nancy Bureson, Sun Lakes, AZ: Medicare does a great job. Before going on Medicare, I had some serious surgery where the insurance company approved at-home nurse care for a pain pump but didn't approve the pain medication and the doctor had to fight with the insurance company to get the medicine approved. Then, the insurance company fought with the drug company about the cost of the medicine. In the meantime, I had been without the pain medication following bone surgery (one of the most painful of all surgeries) for 2 or 3 hours after I was due the medicine. It was a nightmare. There are many more stories that I and my family have and we are all insured. The profit should be taken out of health care.

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Tim Wentz, Carlisle, PA: I began working for a non-profit association in 2000 and have listened to our members tell me year after year that the premiums they pay for the health insurance they provide their employees has increased no less than 10%. When I started with the association I would guess that over 80% of our members paid 100% of the employees premium - now that number is less than half, yet the premium paid by the business is higher. I know from personal experience that the "market" for health insurance is no free market and is especially discriminatory toward small business men and women.

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Robyn Mintz, Albuquerque, NM: I've been treated for skin cancer and am afraid that if I ever lose my job, I'll be forced to pay exorbitant premiums for private insurance. I'm also concerned that I'll have limited options due to my pre-existing condition. This year, I saw four dermatologists under my health plan and was dissatisfied with each one. My copays ranged from $20 to $35 and sometimes I had to wait over an hour only to be seen for 5 minutes. I finally decided to pay out-of-pocket to see a doctor who came highly recommended. She did a very thorough skin check and two biopsies -- one turned out positive for atypical cells. It was worth every penny of the $133 (fortunately my insurance covered lab costs or it would have been closer to $300).

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Kelly Lux, Baldwinsville, NY: My daughter has a condition called alopecia universalis which caused her to lose all of her hair when she was in seventh grade. She has to wear a wig full time and has no body hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes. Insurance companies do not recognize that this is an incredibly debilitating condition psychologically, socially and emotionally and will not pay for a wig as a prosthesis. Wigs generally run about $1,000 and last for about three months.

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Melanie Robbins, Reno, NV: Although I have ALWAYS had insurance, insurance companies won't cover my bona fide medical problem: infertility. Infertility is a disease that is classified by the AMA and others as a disability because it interferes with a major life function. However, it is treated by health insurers the same as cosmetic surgery. Because I had to pay for my own infertility treatments--although I became infertile through no fault of my own--I accrued about $50,000 in debt. Both of my daughters were also born prematurely, so I had to pay $12,000 per year in out-of-pocket medical costs. I have held my current job for the past 10 years. I pay all my bills on time and my credit is excellent, yet I am stuck with enormous debt that I should never have had.

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Priscilla Melanson, Chester, VT: I was on COBRA between jobs, which was very expensive. I got pre-approval for an MRI, and then they canceled me retro-active to the procedure so I had to pay for the whole thing myself. Subsequent tests and surgeries have left me in debt to four or five providers.

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James Turner, Derry, NH: When I was 27, my doctor decided that I needed to have my tonsils out because of frequent sore throats. I went to New England Eye and Ear Infirmary, one of the leading EENT facilities in the country. The chief of surgery insisted that it was unsafe for me to have same-day surgery because of the risk of bleeding in an adult, but my insurance at the time refused to pay for an overnight. I ended up having to pay over $800 out of pocket to stay overnight.

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John Thomspon, Aurora, CO: After my wife and I both lost our jobs last year, we struggled to find affordable coverage for ourselves and our young daughter. My wife and I are both overweight and our daughter has had asthma issues in the past. Insurance companies characterize us as "high risk" and refuse to insure us. This creates the "illusion of choice" that health insurance companies engage in. This holds costs down for them, but doesn't address the health needs of a growing group of Americans who have lost their employer-provided group coverage through layoffs and downsizing.

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Martha Catt, Charlotte, NC: Insurance is simply the process of spreading risk. The risk of illness for the 47 million Americans without health insurance doesn't go away while they remain uncovered, it just festers until someone gets sick enough to go to the ER. Since the uninsured aren't paying for this care, the cost of it is shifted to those with insurance. Simply getting more Americans under an insurance umbrella will lower the cost for everyone. Private health insurers have had 60 years to get it right, and hasn't yet.

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Belinda Willhite, Corydon, IA: We live in rural Iowa and own a small business. When the economy went south, our business dropped off enough to allow us to qualify for the program in Iowa called Iowa Care (we are artists). We live in the far south of the state and have to travel to Iowa City for our doctor visits. We schedule our appointments three months in advance and on the day of our appointment we pack a lunch and wait for the van that will pick us up (they also pick up others on the way) at our door. While there, we have tests done and visit with an attentive physician in a well-run clinic at the University of Iowa Hospital. Prescriptions are mailed to us during the interim time (we pay a co-pay) and we phone the pharmacy when we need refills.

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Dan Krzykowski, St. Paul, MN: While I have no nightmare stories to tell, I recently used urgent care to have a dog bite examined and treated. I am endlessly thankful that the doctor competently stitched my bite, which was on my face. However, an hour of treatment, consisting of a total of fifteen stitches, cost nearly $2500. That seems enormously high for such a simple procedure, and I wonder what the actual cost may have been to the provider. I simply find it a bit crazy that an hour of a person's time, even a doctor's, should cost so much money.

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Laura Westenkirchner, Marshfield, WI: I think that health care here is not top notch, certainly not a bargain in terms of getting value for the cost involved. It seems that politicians say we would lose our great health care with a national system, but that is assuming that we have "great" health care. Other industrialized nations offer their citizens much better health care options at a much-reduced cost. I often hear of criticism of the Canadian system that you have to wait for procedures. Well, let me tell you the doctors have told me that I should have a colonoscopy done (wait time in Canada: 4 months) but my deductible is so high (or my coverage so poor) that I can't get one at all (wait time: forever.) So sometimes we aren't comparing the right parameters.

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Dave Mortensen, Dallas, TX: Both my wife and I will be taking medications for the rest of our lives because of what amount to inherited conditions. My wife's employer pays a significant portion of our health insurance premiums, but if she loses her job, we will not be able to afford coverage and will be faced with over $600 a month in prescription costs. A more insidious problem is the gamesmanship that is played when insurers don't pay for covered procedures. Providers ignore requests for itemized explanations of what was or wasn't paid. Then utterly bogus balances are quickly sold off to collectors. The employer can't get the insurer to address the issue because the provider will only produce a catch-all "balance" that now belongs to a collector.

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Stuart Givot, San Mateo, CA: When I was employed my employer provided an excellent plan. When I was laid off I kept the plan for eighteen months under COBRA and then joined an HMO under HIPAA. The HMO wasn't a good experience. Access to specialists was restricted and surveillance of a pre-existing cancer was inadequate. When I became eligible for Medicare I did not choose an HMO.

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Mike Packer, Bloomington, MN: My most pressing concern is that government will take over health care. We have government health care now with Medicare and the VA health system. They need to make those work before they try and take over the rest of the market. I am VERY HAPPY with the coverage and service I receive with my current coverage, it is just WRONG that the government wants to take that away. There is NO mandate in the constitution for government to provide health care. They can't make the post office work, don't let them make life and death decisions.

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Kurt Cooper, Tucson, AZ: Health care reform is needed because of higher prices, more expensive medicines, lack of employer support for gay partners and the potential for bankruptcy. My boyfriend has AIDS and cancer. I have to drive him around to: the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, the AIDS doctor, the regular doctor, the naturopath (to receive discounted or free vitamins), the cancer doctor, and his head doctor (because the AIDS pills have psychological side effects), and FMLA is not available because of federal regulations so I can only do a bare minimum within my allotted time off.

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Kristina Calvello, Stamford, CT: I have just been laid off and I don't have health insurance. I can't afford the choices out there.

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Warren Gibson, San Carlos, CA: I shopped for private health insurance a couple of years ago. I have only one problem, psoriasis, which for some people is severe, and there are expensive drugs for these people. Since my case is mild, I told the agent I would be happy to have a rider precluding coverage for psoriasis. He laughed. That's illegal. It was also illegal for me to buy coverage from another state. Conclusion: the government makes it illegal to buy affordable health care.

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James Halbrook, Havana, FL: We have the best health care in the world. Leave it alone.

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Joann Calabrese, Denver, CO: I am a woman in my fifties, in pretty good health. I am working part time for a nonprofit and so have no health insurance with them. For the time being, I have COBRA from my last employer. It's $375/month and if I wasn't living with family, I couldn't even afford it. I don't even want to go to the doctor for a check up now, because if they find anything it will be a pre-existing condition and I won't be able to get insurance. I also realize that if I can even find affordable insurance, they will kick me off if I do get ill. So in April, I will likely join the ranks of the uninsured.

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Lloyd Sutfin, San Juan, PA: I think that our current system curtails freedom by forcing people to take or keep jobs they would otherwise reject in order to get "coverage." It forces business to make decisions based on something other than good business. It forces people to maintain relationships such as marriages rather than lose coverage. Too many people are slaves to the health care reimbursement system. Should health care availability be separated from employment benefits, I expect great changes in how people conduct their lives once they have greater freedom of choice.

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Bill Dixon, The Woodlands, TX: Massive amounts of care for my wife and daughter. My daughter is losing access to COBRA coverage and will have difficulty getting any coverage due to pre-existing conditions, due to her heart transplant. The state uninsured risk pool will be the only choice, at higher cost, less coverage and more limited access. It will cost me a fortune to not only cover ourselves ($13,000 per year), but get her coverage and pay her out-of-pocket costs, due to co-payments and limits. I already spend an average of $80,000 per year for premiums, drugs and uncovered/limited items. I think that that will go up.

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Harris Green, Jasper, GA: My family is doing okay, but not as well as my wife's family in Denmark. My wife and I work in a free clinic manned by 300 volunteers. What we see while working there should be found only in third world countries.

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Allen McDonald, San Jose, TX: I moved to Costa Rica from Texas and have lived in Central America for the last twelve years and have been married to the same Costa Rica citizen for almost eleven years. I inherited my wife's three kids from a former marriage when we got married. Currently, two of the kiddos (ages 15 and 20) are living here at home. I pay the equivalent of $48.84 for full health care insurance coverage for the four of us and I do mean FULL -- routine doctor visits, emergency visits, prescribed medication, tests, physical and other therapy, hospitalization, surgery - open heart and otherwise, dental, and whatever else happens with no deductible, no co-insurance payment. Also, no pre-existing conditions are excluded.

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Mandy Peterson, Minneapolis, MN: I am a poor college student who simply cannot afford health insurance. I have been uninsured for three years now. My boyfriend is on a health savings plan, and I could claim domestic partner, but that would cut too much money out of his paycheck. We already live paycheck to paycheck.

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Ben Bates, Anderson, IN: My mother-in-law has had cancer on the base of her spine and she is quite weak from the ordeal. My wife has narcolepsy, and my family has a history of heart problems (albeit later in life). We have all came through satisfied with the care, of course the bill hurts, but isn't it worth it to have a loved one around for a few more years?

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Evelyn Ledesma, Rialto, CA: We are paying $738 per month for Kaiser Permanente health care and my husband's previous employer pays the balance of $108 per month. We both use Kaiser and the VA Hospital coordinates my husband's care with Kaiser. All his heart surgeries have been performed at Kaiser. I would not be able to use Kaiser if we were not both enrolled. When my husband dies, if I survive him, I will probably go uninsured.

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Margaret Green, Kenosha, WI: Even with health insurance, health care costs caused me to lose everything I own after working for over 25 years.

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Darlene Dragavon, Richmond, VA: My husband died last year. I had health-care coverage only during his life, not after his death. I inquired about COBRA but thought I would do better by applying for my own coverage. A sales rep for the coverage I was seeking advised me that I would be better served if I didn't use COBRA. The insurer decided that I wasn't a good risk because I had been to a doctor more than once within the year and was taking anti-depressants and had had an abnormal pap. I haven't attempted to apply again; if asked if I have ever been refused coverage, I would have to say yes.

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Brian Carlson, Grand Rapids, MN: I have a family member who went to a regional hospital in the Arrowhead and had heart surgery. He was never billed except for a $2.00 ambulance bill. According to the hospital he has NEVER been to their facility or had the operation yet I visited him there along with his parents and even brought him home. The last time he had to go to this facility his records got lost. That was 6 months ago and they still haven't found them. We are supposed to TRUST these facilities?

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Andrew Whitacre, Cambridge, MA: Even though I've been deemed 100 percent cancer-free after a bout with Hodgkin's in 2007, I've been told I can never, under any circumstances, go a day without health care. While my wife is also employed and has decent health care, my situation means I'm even more scared than the average person to lose my job. I love my job, but there are rumors that my department may be folded into another next year, so - because my health care is tied to my job - I feel obliged to look for a job at a more stable place.

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Tawnee Saunders, Moberly, MO: I am a single mother of three teenagers. I work two part-time jobs (50-60 hours per week) and attend a local university full time. I can not afford health care, nor is coverage offered to part-time employees, and I make too much to be covered by state health care. My children do get coverage from state health care plans, thank goodness. I do not have access to preventive services nor regular check-ups and I am afraid that if something does happen to me I won't get the care I need.

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John Goodrich, Portola Valley, CA: The health care system ignores all market discipline. Like any good which is "free" to the user, there's too much consumption of it. We need co-pay provisions and a market influence in the health care distribution process. Second, there's no reason that pharmaceutical companies should be able to advertise prescription drugs to the public. The whole idea of prescription drugs is that a doctor needs to decide whether or not they're needed. Advertising causes patients who aren't skilled to ask for drugs when there hasn't been a professional appraisal of their value.

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Shana Hutchings, Pittsburgh, PA: We have had insurance, but our income is low. We have spent $10,000 out-of-pocket for care in two years, $20,000 if you count premiums. This was for a two-week NICU stay when my daughter was born, with no treatment, just observation. She later had two episodes of croup and had to be hospitalized for ten days for observation. We moved, so had to change insurance companies and "start over." We applied for Medicaid and were accepted. It became crippling, as the costs were either a quarter of our income, if you count the first figure, or half if you count the second. This seems incredibly unacceptable.

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David Hannon, Traverse City, MI: Medicaid has been great so far for my children but I am concerned that if something major or on-going occurred then Medicaid wouldn't provide coverage.

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Andrew Sleeth, Raleigh, NC: I'm uninsured with no particular hope in sight for a change otherwise. However, I hold no sense of individual entitlement to medical services. I think medical science and technology have artificially constructed the moral quandaries we confront in a nation that seeks the preservation of human life at all costs. It seems to me that in a world where so much could be done to dramatically enhance the quality of life for so many around the globe at such low expense, I hardly have a right to depend on medical procedures that grossly inflate the costs of overall health care within my own country.

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Ray Van De Walker, Huntington Beach, CA: Our daughter was born with transposition of the great arteries, a major cardiac birth defect. My then-employer's health insurance had a lifetime maximum of $500,000, and we burned through $465,000 in six weeks. After which, she was healthy. A very good outcome, but a very, very scary experience. We had more than $10,000 in medical debts, which crippled our finances for years. My wife developed type II diabetes, which basically makes us uninsurable. I'm healthy, but "morbidly obese."

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Roberto Glaubach, Los Angeles, CA: My daughter Veronica Glaubach was killed by the ignorance of doctors and nurses.

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Roger Rodriguez, Miami Shores, FL: I applied for coverage with Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Both, with my signed authorization, obtained my medical records. They rejected me because of a pre-existing condition -- high blood pressure. There was only one instance in my medical history when my blood pressure reading was high and that was due to my taking the cold medicine SudaFed. I showed my doctor BC/BS's rejection and he was furious because I do not have high blood pressure. BC/BS reported me to the Bureau of Medical Index as suffering from high blood pressure and I was labeled "uninsurable." My employer does not offer insurance. In March 2008, I spent a week at a hospital because of a tick bite that resulted in Lyme's disease. I am now $40,000 in debt.

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Ted Loosli, West Valley, UT: Medicare should negotiate drug costs with Pharma companies just as they do other purchases.

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Susan McNamee, Duluth, GA: I was misdiagnosed with lung cancer at Emory Hospital in February 2007. The pathology from the first surgery procedure was negative, and yet the surgeon proceeded. I did not have lung cancer. I was forced to drop out of school. Emory would not refund my tuition, nor let me take a semester off to recover. I have been to two pain clinics and participated in one clinical trial to try to resolve the chronic pain in my chest wall. I was left with a $50,000 bill.

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Jaette Carpenter, Minneapolis, MN: When my husband and I had health care from jobs it was as though our daughter did not exist. Before she was ever seen by a new insurance company, we received several denial letters regarding her disability. For 20 years the insurance companies closed their doors on her. My husband and I are now on separate plans. The two premiums we pay, plus a surgery that we are paying off, now total $1195 monthly. This is higher than our mortgage ever was. All that we are working for is to pay our monthly premiums and deductible.

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Chris Batt, Woodbridge, VA: When my father retired, my mother was left uninsured as she was not old enough to be covered by Medicare. This was the time of the onset of her illness that caused years of dialysis treatment and her death. Afterward we discovered she had taken a mortgage on the house to cover hospital bills and the credit card bills were HUGE -- she was using them to cover costs of medications. She had arranged a payment plan with the hospital, but when she died the payments stopped -- no one knew about the payment plan. Then the hospital took my dad to court for the outstanding balance.

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Melissa Ebertz, Bethany, CT: I work in advertising and in the past I have worked for large agencies as a full-time employee. I never worried much about health care because my employers offered a good plan. Then I decided to make the switch to freelance, and all that changed. Now I pay my entire insurance cost out-of-pocket and it's a hefty amount. I worry that if anything serious were to happen to me, I would incur huge debts. I really hope this administration will be able to pass health care reform that includes an affordable option for the self-employed.

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Paul Cohen, Sidney, ME: At the age of 58, I lost the job I had held for 17 years as my company resized and relocated operations to India. For 18 months after I lost my job, I paid large premiums for COBRA. Shortly after I lost my job I was diagnosed with cancer. Even with COBRA insurance I had to pay roughly $5K for my treatments and the Cobra premiums were over $1K/month. Still, the cost to me was less than having to pay for the treatment out of pocket. Private insurance in California turned out to be more expensive than COBRA. My wife and I moved. The insurance I have now is only marginally better than no insurance. It costs about $3K/year. However, all of my expenses are still out of pocket since my insurance kicks in only after I've spent $7.5K.

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Mike, Ypsilanti, MI: After returning to the states after teaching abroad I was uninsurable in Ohio because I had been treated for high blood pressure. Because I made the choice to get on medication and lower my risk of heart attack and stroke, it became impossible to get insurance. I'm self-employed and chose to move to Michigan because it has a non-profit Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate that must accept all residents. I miss my family in OH. Furthermore, by failing to insure me, Ohio has lost the taxes I paid to them and my economic productivity, including my ability to employ others.

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Dana Waken, San Francisco, CA: We are self-employed, so we have to buy individual insurance. When we moved to a new state, we had to change insurance since national plans are not available. We have minor pre-existing conditions and the premiums increased. We are aware that insurance companies are always looking for technicalities so that they can drop coverage if it looks like you are becoming a greater risk to insure. So, in other words, you can pay a high premium/deductible for years and at the time when you actually might need it, the insurance companies can drop you because you're eating into their profit margin. Also, just using your health insurance for basic prevention makes you look like an unfavorable customer.

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C.M., Lake City, MN: I am married with three kids and have a good income and health care benefits. Each of us has had a significant medical problem addressed in the health care system with high costs associated with the diagnosis and treatment. We have had excellent outcomes and excellent care. We have had issues with insurance companies' billing but have been very persistent and have been able to resolve these issues to our satisfaction. We are highly educated and have many resources, which helps a great deal.

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S.Eddie Hofmeister, Minneapolis, MN: As a self-employed graphic designer, I could barely afford to purchase $5000 deductible insurance. This left me to pay for all of my normal health needs at full price out of pocket, but I figured if something really went wrong the most I would need to come up with was $5000. For over 10 years I was able to take care of myself by tapping into community health programs with sliding scale fees. My problem with the current health care system is there is no way for a single person to purchase health insurance for a reasonable price.

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Kendra McMillan, Milwaukee, WI: My husband struck out on his own as a consultant. He is healthy and got health insurance. I suffer from depression and anxiety and will be on medication the rest of my life. This, along with my asthma and chronic iritis, caused me to be denied private health insurance. We might be able to afford my medications and routine office visits, but I'm worried about catastrophic events which would destroy our retirement savings. I will have to turn to the state's Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan. No one has talked about these plans during the health insurance debate.

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Richard Williams, Larchmont, NY: I am under my wife's insurance coverage. She "retired" in 2002 at age 50 from her employer after almost 29 years and is able to keep the coverage. Our primary concern is enough income to be able to keep paying for it.

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Kendall McCoy, Dallas, TX: I have conditions that are managed and I take no medications, yet to get an affordable policy I had to sign a waiver on those conditions. Currently I have a high deductible plan with the accompanying HSA. I purchased the policy after being laid-off. I would certainly welcome a public non-profit offering even with the same deductible and rules as long as I knew that there were no exclusions on existing conditions and that I didn't have to compare and shop every time a change in employment status occurs.

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Michele LaBotz, Portland, ME: I served as a team physician at UNC Chapel Hill and at the University of Hawai'i for a number of years, and these decisions were easy in the setting of a varsity athletic department. The varsity athletes get MRIs right away not necessarily out of medical necessity, but often out of fiscal concern on the institution's part (i.e. need to know if the QB will play on Saturday). Unfortunately, this expensive paradigm feeds into the expectations regarding the provision of health care for the general public and I have not yet heard frank and logical debate about addressing these expectations.

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Mark Wohlers, Minneapolis, MN: We're both young and healthy, and luckily my partner's company offers insurance to non-married partners. In the past, though, on my own employer insurance plan, I've rarely had insurance cover any service to the extent they implied they would. When I had wisdom teeth taken out, it took almost a year of endless phone calls to finally get the insurance company to pay most of what they had promised they would pay for before I had the operation done.

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Cathy White, Hager City, WI: Only a couple of times in our married life have we been insured. I usually work for very small businesses -- less than ten people. Health insurance is way too expensive for employers and for the public in general. Luckily we are very healthy people and live a healthy lifestyle, but there are times we need to go to the doctor. We go, but do negotiate the charge if we think it is too expensive. More people should do that.

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Barbara Wind, Sand City, CA: I have coverage from my employer. I pay 20 percent and have a $2400 deductible. I pay into an HSA as well. My problem is that I never meet my deductible so I pay my health costs out of pocket in addition to paying for my insurance and paying into an HSA. There's something wrong with this! My employer can't afford lower deductibles and I don't blame them at all. And I am sure I am not alone. This is most likely a common scenario. In contrast, my parents have medical coverage for life from my father's former job, Medicare and a supplemental policy with a $600 deductible.

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William Wood, Milton, DE: I'm a physician, having just finished my residency in Pittsburgh in otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat surgery). Every week of residency, I treated uninsured or under-insured patients whose throat cancer, ear infections, sinus disease or other health problems had progressed far beyond what they would have, had they had adequate insurance to seek care when their symptoms began.

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Bob Scopatz, Lauderdale, MN: We have experienced many mistakes in bill processing since we switched insurers as part of a job move. I've spent more time fixing billing or processing mistakes than in actually accessing the health care system this past year. We also have been surprised by the limits on coverage -- things that have been covered on previous employer-based insurance plans are either not covered at all or are severely limited. I'm worried that the next time we get a policy it'll exclude even more services we actually need.

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John Goldwyn, Brighton, MI: I left my job voluntarily and am now self-employed. My wife and I are currently covered under COBRA, but our initial attempts at getting individual coverage have been rejected. The rejection is from the very same company that has covered me for the last 12 years. They claim my relatively minor health problems are the reason and that, in any event, they would deny anything relating to pre-existing conditions. We continue to look, but it is clear that finding coverage will be very difficult.

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Vikram Sharma, Charlotte, NC: My biggest concern is health insurance for elderly permanent residents of this country. If a person becomes a permanent resident at an elderly age he/she has no way to get insurance, either via Medicare (not enough work history) or private insurance (prohibitive cost). If this is the case then the government's policy to allow a person to become a permanent resident is flawed.

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Owen Masters, Chocowinity, NC: When a member of my family was recommended to see an ENT specialist, my insurance would not cover any nearby doctors as "in network" and instead insisted he go to a doctor several towns away.

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Dave Benson, Aurora, OH: One month before I was laid off, my youngest son experienced eye trauma injury -- enough that the ophthalmologist was concerned that he might lose sight in an eye. I negotiated with a former employer for an extension on insurance until he was done with the doctors. But COBRA was, and is, too terribly expensive, and we went without health insurance for nine months until I was employed again. The ophthalmologist believes my son should be examined once a year but my present health insurance won't cover the exams because of a pre-existing condition. My wife suffers depression. We haven't had to deal with that yet under the new insurance but I'm willing to guess that they will also scream pre-existing condition.

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Melissa Middleton, San Antonio, TX: When my father divorced my mother, she lost her medical insurance. She has a kidney disease and was unable to get insurance due to a pre-existing condition. Her income was too high to qualify for Medicaid. When I had my first child, my insurance paid eighty percent, which left us with several thousands to pay ourselves.

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Bernadette Burton, San Jose, CA: There is too little incentive to be or stay healthy. Prevention is not covered and even discouraged as people get denied individual coverage for 'high' cholesterol, blood pressure, or you name it, so folks avoid getting preemptive care.

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Joanne Love, Atlanta, GA: Having had employer-sponsored health insurance all of my adult life, I now find myself in a precarious position. My husband died of cancer two and a half years ago and I qualified for COBRA continuation. Since then, I have paid monthly premiums of $524 and have not met my deductible. In January 2010, COBRA coverage will end and I will find myself in the market for individual coverage as a healthy -- but unemployed -- 60-year old.

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Tom Sanford, Lapwai, ID: My family is not protected.

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Edie Bowles, Tappahannock, VA: We exhausted COBRA in spring, and because I just had major surgery (prophylactic double mastectomy), I had no option except to take out high-deductible, no Rx coverage, no underwriting individual insurance at $760 per month! It's our highest expense after our mortgage. Our family of four now pays $1167 per month. Interestingly, I manage a progressive health outreach network and am a knowledgeable consumer. There are no real insurance options for small nonprofits.

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David Belluck, Jamestown, ND: We went to an ER. The hospital and ER told us we were covered at the preferred rate. Then they sent us to an MRI facility and they told us that we were fully covered there as well. When we received the bills we found that the hospital was covered but the ER and the MRI facility were not. By telephone from the ER bed, our insurer told us we were fully covered for all facilities, we relied on their information. When all were confronted by us as to their responsibility to inform us voluntarily or when asked, they told us that they had no responsibility to tell us anything.

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Ellen McEvoy, St. Paul, MN: Last summer I fell off my bike and hurt my shoulder. I was referred for physical therapy, which helped a lot. After seven sessions, I received a bill, which I normally would not, and saw that my insurance was paying $300 for a 20 minute session. The price seemed ridiculous, so I just stopped going. My shoulder seems to be fine now. I think part of the problem of over-use of medical services by those of us who have insurance is that we don't know what the costs really are. It's difficult to make an informed decision when I don't have the needed information.

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Tom Hendricks, Dallas, TX: I'm part time - that means no employer-provided health insurance. I can save my money carefully over the year, and with one crown for a tooth from my dentist, a year's worth of savings are gone. The US deserves to join the world in health insurance and reasonable care for all.

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Tamara Morgan, East Randolph, VT: I'm absolutely one of the lucky ones -- always have had health care provided by my employer. But I've almost always been employed by a non-profit, educationally-based enterprise who knows how important health care is and provides excellent coverage. I could quibble here and there, but I can't complain. Medicare has worked very well for my Mom. I have friends however, who have not been able to afford health care for years, and when they have a bill they can't avoid, it really cripples them financially.

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Maria Nichols, Anoka, MN: I have been uninsured for much of my adult life. Most of my student loans went to pay dental bills because I cracked two teeth and needed root canals for them when I was an undergraduate. My main concern, though, is for my parents. It will be a few years before they qualify for Medicare and in the meantime they have nothing. My father is diabetic, and my mom has high cholesterol and blood pressure. I'm very worried about them. One problem could wipe out the retirement savings they worked all their lives to accumulate. It happens to so many people and it's just horribly unfair.

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Gwenne Hensel, Lexington, KY: I have a form of dwarfism, thus I was born with physical challenges. However, I have never let these hold me back from living as full a life as I can. I am educated, and worked for more than thirty years, despite enduring seven spine surgeries and thirty-one other surgeries, besides cancer...in between all THIS, I still continued working. Yet when one is in the hospital for months, or struggling to walk again, one is forced to live in poverty...and fall through the cracks. So in my adult life now, I have had no choice but to file for bankruptcy THREE times! ALL DUE TO NOTHING BUT MEDICAL BILLS!!! And I worked for over thirty years!

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Judi Morgan-Fuller, Tenino, WA: My husband became a paraplegic in 1969 and he is still alive today because I wouldn't let the medical profession kill him and -- believe me -- they tried their damnedest. I have a list but it is too long and too nice a day to go into all that ugliness again. Believe me it has been unreal. My husband needs to have cataracts removed and you would not believe how many doctors I had to call to find one that says they can accommodate someone in a wheelchair. Or so they say? because we have far too many times arrived at a medical office only to find out there is no way they can even exam someone who is in a wheelchair let alone move someone out of a wheelchair onto the examination table.

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Bret Newberry, Middlebury, FL: I was approved for Social Security Disability benefits a year ago, yet I have to wait the standard 2 years before I qualify for Medicare health insurance. Does that make sense? In the mean time, my wife's new employer's group health plan has a 12-month wait for "pre-existing conditions". So I have no health insurance to help pay for my prescription medication, blood work and doctor's appointments for my chronic disease (rheumatoid arthritis). I have participated in a drug company's "clinical trial" to help cover some of these expenses.

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John Roth, Shippensburg, PA: My medical insurance is through the Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement system. I am a retired public school teacher. My wife and I are given three or four policies to choose from each year. My wife's medical insurance costs about $1000 per month and mine is about $300. Next year, her cost will drop because she will be 65 years old. Our only income is from SS and my pension. We will be living on a fixed income for many years or until we die. Will the insurance cost keep rising?

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Phyllis Capanna, Waterville, ME: My one big health issue is a pre-existing condition that my insurance won't pay for until I have been on the policy for a year. I am currently putting off a necessary procedure until it will be covered. Before I had insurance, I found the cost of lab work varied from $83 to $250 for the very same lab work. I had to shop around to find that out, and I did, since I was paying out of pocket.

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Jay Halverson, Minneapolis, MN: I have a pre-existing condition. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over five years ago. At that time I was a office temp with no health coverage. I am currently employed and have health coverage through my employer. However, I am not able to get any type of medical services relating to my diabetes covered by my health insurance for one year. They are getting premium payments for not providing health coverage for my diabetes.

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Jack Edmonston, East Sandwich, MA: Before I qualified for Medicare, my wife and I paid $7,000 a year for a plan with a $10,000 deductible. When Massachusetts passed its new health care law, that plan no longer qualified. For a plan that did qualify, the company wanted $6,500 for insurance just for my wife. Using the new Commonwealth Health Connector we got a plan for my wife (the minimum plan that qualifies) for just over $5,000 a year.

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Tyler Thomas, Wichita, KS: As the manager of the human resources department at a medium-sized business, I have a unique perspective on health care, as I deal with it every day. It seems the biggest issues are that people refuse insurance because the premiums are too high, or they have to incur serious expenses due to pre-existing conditions.

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John Cazier, Irvine, CA: By active self-management I receive expensive but good health care under Medicare plus employer-paid secondary. My concerns are general: I observe that existing perverse financial incentives increase the number of procedures; decrease the number of primary care physicians and reduce the care they provide each patient; increase the number of specialists and drive them to perform marginal procedures. I observe the incentives for corruption of policymakers.

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Mike Tierney, Dellwood, MN: The issue of cost never addresses the fact that 60+% of health care dollars are spent in the last six months of people's lives. Until we address that issue we will never control costs and there is no politician with the nerve to mention it. As long as congressmen have their own plans for health and retirement they will not address Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, or health insurance. Politicians want to be re-elected. Politics is a career, not a service as it should be. They will buy us anything we want with our money.

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Tim Mullins, Pound, VA: My father had a nurse practicing medicine without a physician's license at a critical hour of his care. He picked up MRSA and literally rotted to death.

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Bob Smith, Minneapolis, MN: My cousin has had her chest cracked five times in her life for surgeries to repair issues caused by the effects of early '80s cancer treatment. She couldn't work anymore, as her heart was barely strong enough for her to do the most mundane tasks. She lost her insurance since she was not employed and without being able to get income, she certainly couldn't afford private insurance. This has nearly bankrupted her family.

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Heidi Hansen, Takoma Park, MD: It was not until I went to graduate school in 2004 that I had health insurance for the first time in over two decades. Fortunately, I am very healthy, but there were times when I had to incur hundreds of dollars in medical fees for tests or emergency room care that took me literally years to pay off. Or I would just not get medical care because I could not afford it. I can probably count on both hands the number of annual physicals I have had. There were times when I would see a doctor and I knew the quality of my care suffered because I did not have health insurance. Having a low-grade insurance plan such as I have now is only marginally better than having no insurance.

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P.T. Withington, Plymouth, MA: We live in constant fear of losing our health insurance if we are unemployed, because we will surely be denied insurance due to 'pre-existing conditions.' So far, we have been able to maintain a continuity, so that the condition we fear being rejected on is not pre-existing, but if the economy and loss of employment were to cause our coverage to lapse, we are sure we would be denied future coverage.

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Sam K., Houston, TX: 1. Denied health insurance coverage due to pre-existing condition; 2. Health care coverage too expensive to afford; 3. Health care system in America does not cover alternative forms of treatment; and 4. No health insurance due to recent job loss and bad economy.

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Sylvia Moore, Los Angeles, CA: I left my job four years ago because of physical problems and have been unable to find full-time employment since. I was denied an individual insurance plan because of several minor pre-existing conditions - acne, back pain, mild depression, tendonitis, allergies, manageable thyroid problem.

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Marco Chiappa, New York, NY:: I'm Italian. I'm in New York for an internship. In Italy, taxes are more then in US, but the doctor and the hospital are free. In Italy is very difficult to "win the day" - and to become hopeless, too.

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Jim Setturlund, Longmont, CO: In 2008 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I didn't then and don't now have health insurance. I am 62 and, like many others my age, am just waiting for Medicare eligibility. I am self-employed (auto repair) and insurance from private insurers would cost anywhere from a quarter to half of my income. I paid out-of-pocket to have surgery done at the best urological hospital in Colorado. The total cost was fifty percent of what insurance companies would have been billed. Since the operation I have been cancer free. Every week I get three to four calls from private health insurers. The conversations end quickly when the find out about my occupation, age and the fact that I survived cancer.

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Connie Telfeyan, Bellevue, NE: Each year the deductible goes up. Each year the insurance company refuses to pay for a list of new drugs. Each year the number of drugs with high deductibles increase ($75 per prescription deductible!). So even with prescription coverage our prescription drugs cost a lot each month.

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Michael Gmitter, Minneapolis, MN: I was priced out of the market. This is the first time in about 40 years, I have not had medical coverage because of the high cost. On several occasions, I questioned my insurance company about fees for services charged to my provider. I was told it was my responsibility to contest the charges with the provider. My impression was the insurance company does not care or monitor charges by providers. This attitude contributes to the high medical cost. The insurance companies are part of the problem.

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Thomas Rochon, Minnetonka, MN: I have had chronic pain throughout my back for the last 20 years as a result of degenerative arthritis in my spine. Throughout this time I've seen numerous primary care doctors for the management of my pain. These visits with primary care doctors would usually end in disappointment as many of these doctors are ill-equipped when addressing chronic pain. Therefore my most pressing health care concern is that primary care doctors get the adequate education and training to address chronic pain.

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Ed D'Amato, Berea, OH: During my mom's three year battle with cancer we dealt with my mom's private insurance company the first two years and she was retired and on Medicare during the third year, so we have first-hand experience with both systems. We went through no end of problems with her private insurance company. One of the things I found out was that the only place where "bureaucrats interfere with health decisions" and try to "ration care" is with the PRIVATE INSURANCE SYSTEM. We had absolutely no billing problems with Medicare and no one from Medicare tried to interfere in her care.

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Jim Hayes, Fallbrook, CA: Our son and daughter-in-law are unemployed and can't get coverage easily due to pre-existing conditions. We worry about losing coverage if anything happens to us before we get into Medicare. The "for-profit" health care industry allows big pharma to spend 25 percent of their income advertising drugs to individuals, not just medical professionals, and letting insurance companies pick and choose who they insure or dump when they get sick to help their profits.

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Jada Tullos Anderson, Greensboro, NC: We have never had any problems, but we have never had any major surgeries or need for health care. Our only problem was with our health savings accounts that require you to spend all the funds in one year. They drug their heels on reimbursement and the cards didn't work the way they promised (supposed to work like a pre-paid debit). We could allegedly charge almost any health expense including contact lens solution, toothpaste, aspirin, but this did not work in practice.

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Doug Harr, Quakertown, PA: I am a disabled physician, board-certified in three specialties. My wife is a certified nuclear medicine technician and a certified water aerobics instructor and facility designer. She has never been able to find steady employment. She doesn't have enough credits to qualify for Social Security when she reaches the age qualification. Before Bush got Medicare Part D passed, I had my own plan and paid only $10 per prescription. Now that I have been forced by the government to switch to Part D, I may pay several or even many times $10 per prescription (especially when I'm "in the gap").

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Sylvia Scharf, Wakefield, MA: Massachusetts has been set forward as a model for the whole country for health care, and this worries me. While I am strongly in favor of single-payer government-sponsored health insurance, the way it works in Massachusetts is not the best. My health care is managed by three separate entities, two of which are government. You become ineligible for the state insurance if your employer offers you insurance, even if it's not affordable. I was unable to get insurance for more than a year after it was required. I have recently lost insurance for two months with no recourse and no notice.

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Loretta Damron, Pine Forge, PA: Let me make myself perfectly clear: We should be talking about the "health care market", not the "health care system." Government needs to BUTT OUT of health care, except to promote state regulatory and tort reform so that the MARKET can function as a MARKET is intended to -- by bringing CHOICE to CONSUMERS through the medium of COMPETITION which in turn LOWERS COSTS.

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Pat Wade, Sitka, AK: I am happy to be using Medicare, as I turned 65 this year. However, prior to Medicare I was individually insured at an extremely high cost with high deductible after being laid-off. The insurance company progressively increased my premium, even though I didn't meet the deductible some years. Every reimbursement was a challenge. I had to contact the state insurance commissioner with two complaints, which finally the insurance company paid. I think the quality of health care in the U.S. is superb, the issue is the health insurance industry. This is where the government overhaul needs to happen.

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Kathryn Berg, Woodbury, MN: My family rarely goes to western medical doctors because they can't get to the root of the problem. They only suppress symptoms and cause more disease. Most doctors have only a passing knowledge on alternative forms of care and ridicule their patients when they choose this route, myself included. Yet they are viewed as "experts." HA!!! So having ignored vaccines, and western docs for the most part, my children are rarely sick, I have missed one day of work in the past 5 or more years due to illness.

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Sally Baker, Scottsdale, AZ: My insurance rates are going up rapidly. They went up twice in one year when I turned 50, and each year since my rates have gone up to reflect health of people my age. My deductible is almost $6,000. I never meet my deductible and pay a considerable amount when I go to the doctor. Mammograms and other preventive care are not covered. I am worried if my rates continue to rise $40 a month, I will be paying $600 a month for health insurance in only 6 years. We need health care reform to help out individuals, small businesses and the health of our community as a whole.

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Rob Jordan, Coronado, CA: I have an Anthem Blue Cross individual PPO plan. I stopped going to the doctor for minor injuries like broken fingers, etc. because of the hassle and expense dealing with the doctors and insurance companies. The policy benefits change every year and I can't keep learning and arguing for a fair deal.

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Aaron Evans, Ft. Worth, TX: During college I had a school health plan, but one kidney infection racked up the bills fast. Luckily it wasn't a pre-existing condition. Now that I've graduated, my wife and I do not have health insurance. We have volunteer positions with an AmeriCorps program beginning in a few months, but the coverage will be emergency only. Our jobs haven't had insurance plans, and because I work for a very small business (under 10 employees), my employer couldn't afford any medical plan even if he wanted to. We just go to an urgent care clinic if we need to see a doctor.

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Peter Thornton, Annapolis, MD: I'm generally healthy, but see my 'family doctor' every 3-5 years for a checkup. I promised the doc that I'd get a colonoscopy when I hit 60. Despite the insurance PPO acting as a 'gatekeeper' to control my care, the surgeon that I was referred to didn't get paid enough by the insurer! I ended up with a bill on top of the co-pay. What's the point of paying for insurance, letting the insurer decide who will deliver my medical care and the insurer refusing to pay the bill? Why refer me to someone who isn't going to be paid 100 percent? What are they 'insuring' me for anyway?

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Nancy Schumacher, Elk River, MN: I had kidney cancer in 2005 and had my left kidney removed. Though insured, I had to refinance my house to pay for deductibles, etc. Now, I avoid seeing a doctor for maintenance because tests are always asked for and I would have to pay for them. I am educated, informed and scared of the whole medical issue. Just think of those less fortunate then me.

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Terrance Paape, St. Paul, MN: I have been very reluctant to use the private health insurance that I do have because of high deductibles. My insurance is an individual plan that my parents are currently paying for since I am too old to be on the family plan, and my mother lost her health insurance when she lost her job due to economic downsizing. In general my family's experience with insurance has always involved my mother or myself calling the insurance company and fighting with them to get a bill paid properly.

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Dan Rosenfeld, Long Beach, CA: My family is probably healthier than most, but we cannot get private coverage. Ironically, my wife works for a large hospital system as a respiratory therapist, but is not able to get insurance through her employer. I lost my job, and have had to continue coverage under COBRA. We applied for insurance as individuals, but were denied.

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Jeanne Byers Spraetz, Savanna, IL: I called for a mammogram and the answering machine message said it would be a ten month wait due to a shortage of radiologists. I then received a letter from my HMO saying they were renegotiating their contract with the clinic and I shouldn't use them because it might not be covered until the negotiating was done. As a health provider, I made more money when it was 80/20 with Medicare instead of the HMO/PPO plans that have a middle man (aka the insurance company). There's a monopoly-like aura in the HMO/PPO plans not allowing therapists to become providers and therefore creating waiting lists.

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Ross Ritter, Potter Valley, CA: In 1982, I spearheaded a local movement to start a Rural Health Center in the Northern California village where I live. We provided medical and dental services. We accepted MediCal, Medicare, private insurance, and cash. We rarely sent anyone to collections, and we wrote off debts after a reasonable wait. We were funded largely by California state rural health funding. I worked as the only full-time medical provider until I retired in 1999 when the annual budget was $2.5 million. The clinic permanently closed yesterday because of lack of state/federal funding. It's ironic that US wars have not ended for lack of funding. Our lives are worth more than their profits.

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Peter Capen, Tacoma, WA: Generally I have found my coverage to be adequate. However, my primary physician is pressed to see so many patients in a day that he does not anticipate potential health problems. Two and a half years ago, I suffered a minor stroke. At my annual check-up several months prior, my physician noted that my blood pressure was high. He did not put me on medication to lower my blood pressure.

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Lynn Noe, Sun City, CA: Kaiser in southern California is so good. I'm worried how much it will cost when my husband retires.

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Laura Bartell, Mt. Horeb, WI: I'm saddened by the efforts to derail health care reform. I'm hearing many protective, uncaring voices that seem unwilling to contribute in any way to the well-being of other citizens. I'm lucky enough at this time to have heath insurance but am more than willing to pay in increased taxes or reduced benefits to help the more than 43 million who have no insurance at all. I refuse to believe as a country we are too selfish to care about or feel any responsibility to help. I would like to add my name to any list that has been established of other like-minded citizens.

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Ryan Lange, Rochester Hills, MI: For the most part, I have been satisfied with the health care I have had over my life. However, I've never been to the doctor very much and I'm not at a state in my life yet where I need to have regular prescription drug coverage. I don't really know how good my wife's insurance is because we have only ever needed to use it to defray the costs of birth control. The whole health insurance industry might need some adjustment, but I don't think that bringing the government into it will make things any more efficient or less expensive.

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Richard Lacher, Dora Lake, MN: I have no problems with my health care. I live far enough from military care and can access my own doctors.

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Anne Skenzich, Minneapolis, MN: I was hurt on the job but the insurer (AIG -- give me my $110B back!) refused to pay...so I waited...and waited...and finally, after having no income for over three monthss I was poor enough to get medical assistance. The delay caused neural damage. If the health care was available via national health care -- no more work comp medical coverage necessary (save businesses money), no more liability medical coverage (look, more savings for business), and everyone would be able to get treatment. Why would any smart person be against saving money on a day-to-day basis?

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Mark Valentine, San Francisco, CA: My wife and I (45 and 47 respectively) are independent contractors and are self-insured. Our overall health is good, but we still pay about $700/month for insurance with Anthem BC of California with a deductible of $5,000. In our seven years of insurance, we've never come close to meeting that deductible target. Thus, our uncovered and partially covered expenses are fairly significant. I have hypothyroidism, which I manage through medication and that, thus far, has presented no problem to my overall health. Never the less, it was a struggle to get BC to approve my coverage seven years ago and I am reluctant to switch providers out of concern about how they would react to my pre-existing condition.

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Susan Samuelson, St. Paul, MN: An internist treated my husband for gout for three weeks when he actually had a torn meniscus and needed knee surgery. It feels like the quality of basic health care has dropped over the last 15 years to the point where it is barely beyond what most people can self-diagnose with the internet. Thus it can become wasted time and money.

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Sarah Andrews, South Burlington, VT: I have relatives who are facing selling their homes and all their possessions in order to pay for medical treatment and insurance premiums. One relative is self-employed and the other is retired. Insurance premiums are more than $1000 per month and the relative has a chronic condition that must be treated.

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Matt Harris, Memphis, TN: The financing and claims are too hard to understand and keep up with for many Americans. Many physicians order tests/procedures to legally protect themselves, but at the same time profit from running these tests. More should be done to move away from paying physicians by volume of tests, but at the same time, physicians need better legal protection from law suits.

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Ryan Buchmann, San Diego, CA: When I left my previous employer, I took advantage of COBRA. The coverage was great, but the monthly premiums were financially crushing. I finally had to forego COBRA and purchase my own coverage. I was declined by two health insurance companies because I had sinus surgery ten years ago. I finally found a company with a $235/month premium. For this price, I could see a doctor only three times a year, had a $2500 deductible on any hospitalization and after that, they only covered 70 percent of expenses. The only medications covered were generics, so I bought my allergy meds from Canada.

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Jeannette D'Armand, Seattle, WA: I was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes during my senior year at New York University. That was 18 years ago. What concerns me most is that my monthly health expenses run me about $550-$600 per month. I drive an 18-year-old car, but when that goes, what then? Could I afford a car payment with what I'm paying for my health expenses? The auto industry might benefit if the health care industry found a way to work itself out. I am debt-free. I live within my means. If I live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, I shouldn't have to choose between health care and career.

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Deni Holl, Hubbard, OH: I'm healthy, active, but don't go to the doctor because I can't afford it. I'm an artist and I don't earn much. I do go to free clinics and I'd put my cholesterol and blood pressure up against any American any day. I'm mad at the people putting national health care in jeopardy over abortion policy. If someone wants to make the argument that they shouldn't have to pay for someone else's abortion, then I will make the argument that I shouldn't have to pay for some man's Viagara or some fat lady's heart attack.

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Jenn Posterick, St. Francis, Minn.: I have a pre-existing condition. I get refused for an individual policy even though my condition is stable (optic neuritis). One company said they could re-review my records and consider offering me a policy that would exclude everything related to the condition. So tell me the logic of charging me so much when the expensive aspects of my health would be excluded? Applying for health care has been demoralizing, now that I work for myself and not a company. Sadly, I am considering letting my personal business take the back burner so that I can get some job that will give me health care.

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Sioen Roux, Salem, OR: I don't really buy into much of Western medicine, and I have rarely had health insurance. I have also rarely been sick (I take good preventative care of myself), and without a single-payer system that covers me, my good health hasn't been available to offset the costs of people who need care. However, a lot of what I've seen is unnecessary care. People don't live forever, their bodies don't stay in pristine condition, and we shouldn't be playing false-immortality muses to people who can't face the very basic reality of life.

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Christy Crosser, Lyons, CO: My husband and I are both self-employed and have a $10,000 deductible. Our monthly premiums are over $500. I have made decisions not to get some preventive health care because of the high deductible and my work is slow right now. This is the first time I am not getting an annual mammography and I will likely forego other services. I hear that small businesses are the backbone of America but I am seriously considering finding employment -- if there is anything out there.

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William Binder, Chicago, IL: I was without health insurance for several years until I was deemed eligible for disability through Social Security.

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Jean Mosher, Raleigh, NC: I have late-stage, chronic lyme disease and am extremely ill. I found a local doctor who has been treating me, but BCBS doesn't cover him, and my insurance costs almost $400 a month! My parents are having a difficult time paying for all of this, but there aren't any other options. If doctors, researchers, and drug companies weren't so profit driven things would be different for me, but as it is now, I'm a burden on my family and cannot make a meaningful contribution to society. Sometimes what is good for the individual also benefits everyone.

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Marta Johnson, Chicago, IL: I buy insurance on the private market and the plan I can afford provides far lower coverage than I would like. It covers two doctor's visits per year - one of which I use for an annual check-up at the gynecologist. That leaves me only one visit for illness per year. My insurance refuses to pay for lab tests and I routinely forgo testing that I would like because I know that my health insurance doesn't cover it. Thankfully, Chicago has many organizations that provide discounted or free care. Still, such organizations are not the answer. It's time to make health care affordable and accessible across the board.

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Apolonio Gonzalez, Lake Carroll, IL: I had a shoulder operation in October 2008 and had to work with my insurance to go to two different physical therapy places since the first was 60 miles away. The second place of therapy was 25 miles away and even though I had a pre-approved referral it took me and the place of therapy 7 months to get the bill paid. I was getting a $2,300 bill - for 7 sessions - every month and every month I talked to the insurance they told me the payment was in process. I hope the bill is finally paid.

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CJ Wolfe, Aurora, CO: I have had type 1 diabetes since I was ten and it makes me uninsurable through anything other than my employer's plan. I hate what my job has become and I'm experiencing 'job lock.' I've been hearing that a cure is 'right around the corner' for the last 30 years, but the companies that sell us insulin don't want us cured, as they would lose a guaranteed revenue source. I live in constant fear of job loss. I stockpile insulin out of fear of a layoff, and every year the co-pays for insulin (which should be a generic by now, but continues to be brand-name with staggering costs thanks to an FDA loophole) continue to rise.

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Tiffany Long, San Antonio, TX: We have an HSA, because despite making over $60,000 a year for two people we cannot afford the cost of a PPO (preferred provider organization). What this means is that neither of us can go for routine checks because we must save enough money to cover the first $5,000 dollars of any emergency care. Without preventive care, it is more likely we will have to go to the hospital. We are stuck in an illogical loop.

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Xoe Cranberry, Lawrence, KS: I am concerned about losing my health insurance because I was diagnosed with heart disease. I feel like I can't leave my job, because if I try to get health insurance elsewhere, I will be denied due to my pre-existing condition.

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Christine Smythe, Arlington, VA: I am 63 years old. My sole income is SSDI ($1,552/month). My health insurance is Medicare - I cannot afford supplemental coverage. I have a non-responsive form of manic-depressive illness and asthma. I can survive the "normal" charges of primary care plus some tests (one reason is that my neuropsychopharmacologist charges me just $45/visit and my therapist just $11/visit). I like Medicare because I can choose my doctors and it is good (except for the damn Part D Drug Program) when I am healthy. BUT, extreme financial difficulties arise when I need more than just "normal" care. This year I had a torn rotator cuff, so I now pay full price for drugs because of the Part D coverage gap.

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Keith Malone, Los Angeles, CA: I'm in my eleventh month of COBRA after leaving a hostile work environment. I started paying about $330 per month for CIGNA PPO and applied for the COBRA reduction option under ARRA. It was approved (even though I did not leave my work through a layoff) and this past week was rescinded. I looked at finding cheaper insurance. Blue Shield said they would insure me for approximately $550 because of my asthma (low level), BMI (if you saw photos of me, you would not agree in any way that I am overweight), and that I need long-term therapy. I also applied to Kaiser where I had formerly been a member and was flat out refused membership. CIGNA is the worst rated HMO/PPO in California by the State Department of Managed Care.

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Betty Cruz, Pittsburgh, PA: I did not have coverage as a student. I had to go to the emergency room twice, which resulted in ridiculously high costs. While in my junior year of undergrad, I secured coverage through a student rate option and had to fill out a claim anytime I saw the doctor. They would mail me paperwork after my visit (sometimes a month later) and I had to explain each time the what/why/when/how, even when it was a regularly scheduled visit. I also had my coverage denied on more than one occasion.

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Angela Mathers, Fargo, ND: I am a 25-year-old graduate student studying sociology at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. I got married when I was 20 and since my husband, also a student, and I got married, we have not had consistent health care. In the last three years, we have had none at all. We have decided to invest in education rather than health care; a choice no person should have to make. We have completely fallen through the cracks. We live our daily lives knowing that we are one illness, accident or injury away from losing everything that we've worked so hard for with our academics.

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Jeremy Yoder, Moscow, ID: I'm lucky to have health insurance through my university (I'm a grad student), but the coverage is limited to a small number of local providers. On the one hand, I'm at a point in life where I don't regularly need medical attention or prescriptions; on the other, the handful of health expenses I do have -- for corrective lenses and regular dental cleanings -- aren't covered.

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Anne Johnson, Corona, CA: I have lost my job and have been left without health insurance. I have a serious heart condition and I cannot afford to go to a cardiologist. I have been informed that my aortic valve will need to be replaced. With no health insurance and no job, how am I supposed to take care of this?

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Christopher Klein, Berkeley, CA: On July 1, my company reduced our coverage to maintain benefits costs at an even level. As a result, we switched from one Anthem plan to another, and my out-of-pocket expenses are going to increase by more than $4,000 per year. This is a real increase, not a possible or theoretical increase.

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Andrea Lukefahr, Chesterfield, MO: I do not have any major problems with the health care I receive. I would like more preventive care. I can only get a pap test every other year under Medicare.

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Ralph Amadio, Downey, CA: I have had serious back surgery, neck surgery, and prostate cancer, all paid by either my employer or insurer. The system has worked well for me.

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Graeme Dunlap, Pomona, CA: With my "pre-existing" condition private insurance is out of the question. If I want to travel outside the U.S., then no coverage options. I must commend the VA's electronic medical data system as excellent. As we tax cigarettes to discourage use, so we (Congress) ought to tax high fat, saturated fats, or high salt & other fast foods such as sodas until we get the message to stop or to diminish personal usage. The tax money could help with a "universal-plan" option and/or Medicare.

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Andrew Tralle, Minneapolis: When I started substitute teaching a year ago, I was forced to search for an independent health-care provider. After months of providing information and filling out forms I was rejected because I have sleep apnea and I'm overweight. I was crushed. I'm 26 years old and rarely go to the doctor. My sleep apnea is successfully treated by a CPAP machine that is already paid for. I'm terrified that something will happen to me and I'll need medical care. If I'm in a car accident or get cancer, I'll be in debt for the rest of my life. Or worse, I may not see the doctor for something preventable.

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Roger Hoskin, Falls Church, VA: We're all doing fine. The best insurance is don't get sick, but we don't have complete control over that.

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Glenn Farwell, Oakdale, MN: As I see it, the creation of HMO-driven health care has failed in the promise to hold down costs. In an HMO the doctor is faced with managing care on a dollar basis, requiring them to consider rationing certain diagnoses and treatments. The goal is to keep care cheap and the profits high. Hence we have understaffed health care and the stockholders reaping the profits. The fox is watching over the chicken coop!

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Amanda Haldy, Becker, MN: No doctors or dentists in my area take my employer-provided insurance. It bothers me I pay so much (at my income level, I feel the loss of that $200 a month) for something I can't use for my medical needs. We need every American covered to at least meet their basic needs. If it takes a public plan to provide this care, I am behind it--there is nothing un-American about taking care of yourself and your neighbors. I don't understand the fear of the public plan, especially if it's offered as simply one option among many. This is a topic I feel very passionately about--more so than any other issue facing the U.S. today.

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Jim Jaffe, Washington, DC: I am constantly flummoxed. Should I really visit the dermatologist because my internist suggests it? Should my wife have taken a taxi to the nearest walk-in clinic rather than going to the emergency room? When should a pain be taken seriously enough to access the system? All sides suggest more tests, more visits, more expense, but there's no conservation ethic, as there is in other areas, on how to get by consuming less. Guess that explains why we're such healthcare gluttons.

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Becky Long, Athens, GA: By the time a person gains the experience to start their own business they have a family and likely can't do without the health insurance or afford the coverage in order to go the several years it takes to get a business going. This is our experience. We went without or just with me covered by work until we had kids. Now my husband's business supports us, but we pay a third of our income for health care. No one in our family has a disease or disability. Our kids have only gone to the doctor for well visits.

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Jeff Kruger, Lexington, SC: Why go to a doctor, have a test performed and then get billed by three different people? It's ridiculous and people wonder why costs are so high. The administrative work is a nightmare. The doctor should be employed by the hospital and all the tests should be done at the hospital, by the hospital, not some third party.

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Ryan Brown, Albany, MN: I am a pipefitter, in the Minneapolis Local 539. I and every other member in the union pays a substantial amount towards health care. We are not allowed to decline coverage. We have the option to just not use it and get coverage elsewhere, but regardless we still have to pay for it. If I could manage my own health care with a HSA and a high deductible plan, such as the one my wife's employer offers, I could cut the costs in half.

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Wendy Connolly, Santa Clara, CA: I have changed jobs four times in three years and have changed insurance each time. I have also had to get individual coverage during the waiting periods before my employer coverage kicks in. As a result, I have not seen the same doctor twice, nor am I ever sure what is covered. I am so tired of trying to find a covered doctor and then trying to determine what is covered, that I no longer go to the doctor at all.

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Robert Stottlemyer, Loveland, CO: My experiences to date have been quite positive. One thing I have found helpful is to become fully informed on the ramifications of your condition through self-education. Other than some preventive surgery, I have had no major medical problems yet. I have some friends in general practice and they are very frustrated with the paperwork now required. Often they commit up to two full-time employees to handle just paper work in addition to the time of the physician which can often amount to a half-day per week!

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Leora Lawton, Berkeley, CA: I'm self-employed and over 50. With *nothing* on my record, policies are $700/month. Then I donated blood and tested a *false* positive for Hep C. Healthnet flat out refused, Anthem said they'd cover me for $1500/mo. I took a poorly paid half-time job so I could get full group coverage. For large firms, it's great for employees. In small firms, it's not as good. For both firms, it's rough on costs.

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Lane Trippe, New Orleans, LA: As a healthy, self-employed attorney, I pay for a high-deductible plan. Two years ago, I had successful emergency surgery for a bone cancer. Immediately after that claim was filed, my monthly premium was increased several hundred dollars to over $1,100. I can't leave this plan because of my now "pre-existing condition." I am trapped, paying over $15,000 a year just for my coverage. If my taxes were increased $5,000 a year to pay for health reform, but I had even a basic health plan, I'd have $1,000 more in my pocket every month and I'd be far better off.

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Rick Fifield, Phoenix, AZ: I have worked for the same company for almost 25 years and have been covered through my employer. I have had 80/20 plans, HMO's, and other types. I or members of my family have had knee surgery, hepatitis, pregnancy, appendectomy, back surgery, and other aliments all covered with little out of pocket costs. In most cases i was able to choose the doctor I wanted to see.

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Scott Strauss, Plymouth, MN: I was unemployed several years ago and had to come up with $1,100 per month for my COBRA payment. I was thinking about starting my own business and tried to find insurance on my own. I ended up applying to United Health Group. They wanted medical records, and after incurring $250 of copying costs my wife and I were rejected for pre-existing conditions.

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Sheila Maxwell, Alamo, CA: My husband is retired and on Medicare and has lifetime insurance from IBM. Since companies quit doing that and quit providing pension plans, I have to rely on my 401(k) (we know what has happened to that) and my company insurance plan which is costly and has high copays and deductibles. I will be 65 in November. I worry that health insurance is no longer affordable. I have a daughter who lives in England and had a baby two years ago, nine weeks early. It cost her nothing. If only we had that kind of care here. It was incredible. On the other hand, my son and his wife had a baby here and it was expensive for them. It's a world of difference knowing that your health care is always there. We do not have that peace of mind in the U.S.

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Martin Schrick, Dayton, OH: I do not support any form of socialized medicine. The U.S.A. has the greatest health care system in the world and it saved my life. I am currently uninsured and choose to be so. I pay for my own prescription medicine. When has the government ever improved anything or made it more efficient?

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James Creasey, Suffolk, VA: I have been very happy with my health care for all of my adult life. I have also been gainfully employed up until this current economic crisis. I think that the U.S. system currently in place is the envy of the rest of the world. When I needed an MRI last year and surgery on my spine, I was able to get it done when and where I wanted it. I did not have to ask a government official if I could get the care that I thought I needed. Also, my physicians do not want to be told what to do by the federal government. I have some relatives from Canada that regularly come across the border into New York to get medical treatment because they can have it performed quicker here than in Ontario.

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Tom, Daytona Beach, FL: After losing my job and health insurance in 2008 due to government cuts in Medicare I was offered the COBRA extension but that was a joke. How is an unemployed person supposed to be able to pay hundreds of dollars with no income? Shortly after that I injured my hand but was unable to afford treatment and now have lost the use of one finger and part of another. I did not get emergency treatment because it was not a 'life threatening' injury. I am afraid that if I or my wife becomes ill or gets injured, I could end up losing my house and end up on the streets.

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Allen Grush, Eugene, OR: I was treated for a pre-cancerous mole at an outpatient clinic. That one-hour procedure cost me 10 percent of my annual income. I got a pair of glasses. They cost 5 percent of my income. I was treated for an infection. It cost me 8 percent of my income. I was told that these high costs were because I did not have health insurance. I got health insurance. It cost me 20 percent of my annual income, and when I tried to use it, the claims were denied. My VA co-pay quadrupled and I could no longer afford to see a doctor at all. I dropped the health insurance.

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Julie Nofziger, Maumee, OH: My COBRA coverage will end September 30. I have obtained quotes from a few insurance companies where my doctor participates. Pre-existing conditions are the issue. I have high cholesterol and in the early stage of osteoporosis and am being treated for both. I was told I am too high a risk to insure for one company and am waiting to hear from another. Under a group plan no one is asked any health questions. It's not fair to have different requirements for insurance for someone only because of their job status.

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Allen Krecker, Florence, OR: I am unemployed and uninsured. My wife has multiple sclerosis and is on SSDI. It is very difficult to get health care here on the central coast of Oregon. I have severe back pain (four herniated disks) and a right knee in need of surgery (three previous surgeries). I presently cannot afford to do anything about these conditions. My wife(formerly a long term health care administrator and college educator) has had some very unpleasant experiences with the health care system, including misdiagnosis.

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Charles Pyott, Ithaca, NY: Worrying about getting seriously or catastrophically ill and neither having access to healthcare (nor, for that matter, a job that supports sick leave) can be torturous, at times.

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Jane Doyle, Berkeley Springs, WV: The health insurance industry, along with the pharmaceutical industry, has created the situation we are in now. I am uninsured by choice; I don't want any part of this system. I am 52 years old and am far healthier than I was 30 years ago because I have been under homeopathic care. If health insurance was made illegal, then we could sit back and watch health care expenses drop to a reasonable level. Paying out of pocket for my needs is far cheaper than paying for health insurance. If there is a law passed forcing me to get insurance, I might have to move to Canada.

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Karen Smith, Laurel, MD: I lost my youngest sister to Saquamous cell carcinoma in May 2009. She was diagnosed two years ago and didn't receive health care benefits until she was diagnosed. If she would have had coverage prior to this I believe the tumor would have been found much earlier. She never could afford coverage on her own, she always had her own business. She leaves a husband, children, grandchildren and sisters and brothers who miss her terribly. I have to commend Gov. Rendell in Pennsylvania for giving her excellent care through University of Pennsylvania hospital, but it was too late.

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Amanda Williams, Glouster, OH: When I was in high school I fell down some stairs and either broke or sprained my left ankle. There was no way of knowing, as my family had no health insurance. There was no way to visit the emergency room, because we had no car and the price of an ambulance trip was too high. Instead, my mother bandaged my ankle, and that was that. I hobbled to and from school for months. There are other, countless stories I could tell. My diabetic sister had no health insurance and was insulin dependent; the first time I saw a doctor was when I was 13, and I had to wait two weeks for a doctor at the free clinic; the time my mother cried while we walked home from the pharmacy because the medicine for my ear infection had cost us our last $60.

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Desiree Jennings, Ashburn, VA: The health care system failed my family literally just a few days ago. While boating last weekend, my husband cut a six inch gash in his leg exposing the bone. To avoid the expensive emergency room co-pay and high deductible, we instead went home cleaned, stitched, and bandaged up the leg ourselves. He is now taking antibiotics, purchased online and meant for use in fish, to keep the infection at bay. We're just hoping that his leg heals properly and doesn't become infected. We are both insured by our company's health care provider United Health Care.

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Mike Ford, Long Beach, CA: When I had my heart attack in 2006 I was uninsured but VA eligible. The hospital refused to try to transfer me, and ultimately I wound up being another medical bankruptcy case. If the VA had not taken me in, I would have died. In fact I was told I was going to die without another two heart stents; my prescriptions coming out of the hospital were $397 for the first month. I assumed I was done working for a living. I went to the VA and obtained documented qualification for treatment eligibility and am at work. Prescriptions are now only $32 per month.

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Bob McCarthy, Cincinnati, OH: I have had the "gold plated" health care that is becoming very rare these days. The health care system is irrationally managed and consumers are subject to the same type of predatory activities that the banks have been able to get away with. My wife and I have developed chronic health issues and given the slightest opportuntiy the health care providers that we have would drop our coverage. Universal health care with a single payer system is mandatory.

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Amanda Rudelt, Minneapolis, MN: I have ulcerative colitis. The medication I need to function is incredibly expensive. I can't be underwritten using the current insurance model. If I am not employed before my COBRA runs out, I will be left totally disabled. When I hear people say they don't want Washington deciding what their doctor can do, I say right now Wall Street gets to decide. After this I know I would rather have Washington than Wall Street. Most people that end up in Wash. were idealist at one point in their life. I don't believe Wall Street was ever in it for the greater good.

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Bud Wonsiewicz, Boulder, CO: As a family, we have trouble getting our care coordinated. Try as they may, our doctors act like soloists, not members of a team. We would appreciate reforms that would get a team working on the best way to solve our problem, not the one that maximizes the income to individuals. Talking to others about the problems of our national health care is discouraging as is the level of discussion on your program and others. In fact, many people deny there's a problem and seem proud to be ignorant of the basic facts. The basic problem: we have an enormously wasteful and ineffective medical system.

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Karl Johnson, Palo Alto, CA: I am self-employed and pay for my family's insurance. Our premiums have jumped from about $750/month 18 months ago to $1325/month next month - almost a 100% increase! This is because the annual rate increases about 20 percent per year and I'm turning 60 next month. We are all in good health for our ages, but we are most likely unable to shop around because of minor issues or pre-existing conditions in our medical histories. Free markets require that customers can make economic choices -- that certainly doesn't seem to be the case with the health insurance industry.

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Tim Kendall, Wilmington, NC: The drug companies are rich, the doctors are rich, the insurance companies are rich while the people get sicker and poorer. Containing costs, computerizing records and rewarding doctors for outcomes should have been done years ago. If the Obama administration wants to really make a difference in the health of our citizens, then the job is much bigger than tinkering with the current health system. We need to take a totally different approach that prevents disease rather than passing a bill one year and expending vast amounts of government money that will only enrich the medical care providers.

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Avonelle Lovhaug, Shoreview, MN: I agree that the current system has problems. But I see the solution to be more competition and less regulation, not more government intervention. I'm also concerned that any government health insurance will result in the rationing of care, and that it will stifle medical innovation and hurt small businesses. I'd like to see changes that would permit insurance to be offered nationwide instead of on a state-by-state basis. Also, I'd like to see rules that would not permit insurers to turn down clients due to pre-existing conditions.

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Kristina Vaughn, Golden, CO: I am very concerned that the US has the best and most expensive health care in the world and that the current administration doesn't understand/appreciate that fact. They would rather have 1950's costs but 2010 innovations. They don't get that it just doesn't work that way. I worry that the wrong decisions will be made which will result in government-rationed health care based upon government formulas for "equitable care for all," stifling of innovation and lower quality care for all Americans.

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Mary Armstrong, Dublin, OH: While my family is well covered, for which I am profoundly grateful, I think many other Americans need -- and should get -- coverage. One thing that I would change is the way our bills are paid. We never see a bill. I know that we are incredibly fortunate in that very little has ever been denied, but I wonder how accurate the billing is if we aren't even included as a third party.

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Cynthia Harriman, Portsmouth, NH: We would be bankrupt now if the $350,000+ cost of our son's care after a serious car accident had not been covered by insurance. Our son had to leave college for a year after his accident, an act that would have terminated his coverage under his parents' insurance with most companies. Kids who leave college for health reasons are the ones who need their insurance the most. We must be able to trust our health insurance to be there when we need it.

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Jeffrey Galston, Richmond, VA: I am concerned about the tremendous costs that are not covered by insurance. We are hearing about bits and pieces of the debate, but I have not seen any analysis of the whole package. How are we to advise our legislators unless we see the entire picture?

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Bruce Jugan, Los Angeles, CA: The health care system has worked great for me. I have had both hips resurfaced, cutting edge technology that I scheduled within weeks of deciding to go ahead with the procedure. Insurance paid very well. Our system works exceptionally well - it's just expensive. I pay a lot of money for my health insurance, but I have immediate access to the highest quality care in the world. I think everyone wants to pay less for health care, but everyone also wants to see the very best doctors when they want.

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Jamie Scott, New York, NY: I am currently unemployed and have COBRA, which costs $545 per month for very good insurance. But when I'm bringing home less than $1,600 per month from unemployment, and my mortgage/maintenance is $2,300 per month, how am I supposed to afford this health care coverage? And what happens when COBRA runs out???

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Marsha Katz, Missoula, MT: Hospitals are not accessible for patients who use wheelchairs, as my husband does, and most medical professionals are clueless about caring for people who use wheelchairs. Health care insurance and Medicare do not include long-term care coverage/benefits, especially benefits that would allow me to stay in my own home with the assistance I need. To make matters worse, none of the health care proposals currently under discussion include any long-term services and supports provisions that would cover all people on an immediate basis -- especially people who are low-income and unable to work, or who are past their work years already.

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John Eastlund, Bryan, TX: The day before an operation I had to sign a form saying that I was aware that the doctors assisting might not be with my insurance plan so I might be responsible for the entire bill. I had no control over who the hospital would have on duty that day. I didn't know whether I would owe $0 or $30,000. Who keeps saying we have a choice in doctors?

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Zia Rifkin, Asheville, NC: I have no health insurance. My husband is disabled and is covered by Medicaid. I'm glad that he can get the medical support he needs but it bothers me a great deal that I pay into a system that doesn't cover me unless something catastrophic occurs. I work hard to stay well and want to be able to access good care as I desire -- not mandated by the government.

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George Musser, Glen Ridge, NJ: Why can't they just extend Medicare to cover the whole population?

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Toby Portner, Honolulu, HI: I have a nine year-old daughter with a genetic condition called hyperadrenergia. We sought the care of physicians, ruled out cardiac problems and found a psychiatrist who could do biofeedback with her. Retraining the brain at this age can make a big difference for her. At the time that we made the decision to go that route, the state (I'm a teacher) changed our health coverage, and now we'll have to pay out of pocket if we want to go with biofeedback. They'll pay for meds for the rest of her life, but not for a treatment that will likely end within a year or so.

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Suzanne Wheat, Pittsboro, NC: Fortunately, I don't have the expensive medical conditions that are plaguing the nation. I work out and am a strict vegetarian. Nutritious food isn't cheap. I do all my own cooking and read labels because most prepared foods have bad fats. I pay $4 at Wal-Mart for a couple of medications that I have been on for years. My annual check-ups now cost $86 which the clinic is calling "a deposit." I am getting a 28% discount because there's no insurance involved (I think). If I become seriously ill I already have plans to go to Mexico or India for treatment.

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Stephen Gould, Wyndmoor, PA: My major concern is that it's very difficult for an individual to buy insurance if you're beyond a certain age (56 in my case). After losing my job, I managed to purchase insurance (after being rejected by the first company), but at a very steep premium. I have no idea if my insurer will pay if I fall ill. Will they rescind the contract? The whole insurance system is immoral; insurance companies make no real contributions to anyone's health, they simply suck money out of the system to make profits at the expense of people's lives.

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Ronald Sherman, Irvine, CA: I am very fortunate, and very happy with my health care, by a fine HMO. I have a fine part-time job caring for the uninsured at the county's health department clinics. But I am willing to gamble it all away for a single-payer system that would cover everyone. I think I would come out a winner with that gamble, and everyone else would, too. When medical illness is the number one reason why people end up bankrupt, our whole society pays dearly for health care in ways we do not even account for.

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Christine, Oceanside, CA: I became disabled due to a back surgery following a work injury. I was about 38. I am now 66 years old. Initially I had to fight the worker's compensation system for adequate care. The doctors were substandard. I was forced into surgery, which I had resisted after seeing the dismal numbers regarding successful surgery. If I did not have surgery the worker's comp system would cut off my temporary disability. I was supporting three children alone so I did what I had to do. Due to invasive testing, contrast dyes injected into my spine, surgery and post surgical injections of Depo Medrol, I developed a disease called Adhesive Arachnoiditis.

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Kendra Ryan: Rochester, MN: I work as a temporary employee for Kelly Services. My current assignment is long-term and, ironically, at the Mayo Clinic. I have not been able to afford health insurance and have not seen a doctor since early 2008. Last week I called Mayo and the other care provider in town to price out an annual exam. Mayo was three times as expensive. The cheaper option will cost approximately $500 for an office visit, exam and lab tests. This is not something I can afford. My biggest fear is that I may have cancer. Not highly likely but it is a fear that haunts me.

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Frank Regan, Rochester, NY: Personally, my federal health program has been a good one. I'm more concerned about 45 million Americans going uninsured. This is a moral outrage for a rich country like ours.

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Robin Phillips, Alexandria, VA: I have had continuous care through my employment for the last 22 years. My 69-year-old mother retired and moved near me and lost her health care benefit from her job in the process. She has social security income at the lowest level ($660/month at last check). She has now moved back to the area where she will be covered with good Medigap insurance but I am still concerned that one illness could wipe her out and leave her dependent on my sister and me.

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David Lockling, Madera, CA: Having Blue Cross for myself is great. However, I have siblings and in-laws who do not have coverage or are underinsured.

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Gina Hamilton, Bath, ME: My son, who is 24, is still a student. He is no longer on our family plan and cannot get health care coverage on his own because he cannot afford it. He is just a car accident or a skiing accident or a major illness away from being bankrupted before he even starts his life. And he is avoiding necessary care, such as dental care, because he does not have coverage.

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Bill Rausch, Savanna, IL: I'm worried that as I grow older it's more likely that I'll have some medical problem that insurance won't pay for, or my premiums will jump to levels I can't afford and I won't be able to find another insurance company. I already have a rider on my policy that is stopping me from fixing a deviated septum that's getting worse because my agent wrote down that I had chronic nasal problems even though at the time (20 years ago) I had never been to a doctor about the problem. The agent's reasoning was the insurance companies question policies where there is no history of some sort of problem.

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Thomas Robertson, Spring, TX: I've been fortunate to be covered under my father's health care plan for most of my life, but as I come near the end of my education, I'm beginning to worry. For one, initial packages seem to be reducing coverage, along with blocking those with the dreaded pre-existing condition. I have only one long-term condition: attention deficit issues. While not life-threatening, the difference in my productivity when treated is superior to otherwise. Given the skepticism many have over this issue, I worry this will be an area insurance providers cut back on.

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June Turner, Titusville, FL: I am self-employed as a math and reading tutor. In spite of the economy, I have more students than ever and a waiting list. However, I have my fingers crossed; I am 62 years old, have no health insurance and hope that I am healthy for three more years until Medicare. I have a couple of pre-existing conditions that make it impossible to get insurance. If I were to get cancer, I would have to contemplate suicide rather than bankrupt myself and my family (who would insist on paying the bills I couldn't manage as long as I was alive).

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Amy Ranger, Grand Rapids, MI: I am currently covered by my (same-sex, legally-married-in-California, but live in Michigan) partner's benefit plan. We are aware that the state university where my partner works could cancel this program at any time, leaving me without benefits. Even so, right now, I feel very fortunate. The best, and worst, health care I ever had was during my five years in the US Air Force. It was easy to go to the clinic on base for immediate or routine care, but they didn't do as good a job with dental or mental health treatment. Still, I would happily go back to that system.

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