In many ways, the American health care system is broken. But in order to understand how to fix it, we need to know where those breaks are.
Have you experienced the high cost of health care, the complexity of health insurance, or a problem with your care itself? We want to hear your personal experience!
Did you pay too much for too little? Did the coverage fall short? Do you wonder if you'll be able to afford it all in the future?
Your story will help us understand the health care system better and help us promote common sense solutions to your real problems.
Your story:
We Want Common Sense Solutions to Health Care!
# 3,737:
7:14 pm PDT, Aug 27,Martin Keegan, Florida
# 3,736:
7:05 pm PDT, Aug 27,Name not displayed, California
I have worked and paid taxes my entire adult life. Now I am 58, without coverage, sick, and I don't qualify for any help. I make a few hundred dollars more annually than federal poverty guidelines. I cannot afford housing; I am blessed to have generous friends. This is a great country, really rewards the citizens for trying to do right.
# 3,735:
3:57 am PDT, Aug 27,Name not displayed, Missouri
I pay my health insurance at work but, can't afford to go to the dr since 2004 because I can't afford the deductible and the co-pays; not counting the cost of medicine for someone like me with Lupus. So this means for myself as a person with Lupus I haven't had meds since 2004, hopefully I live long enough to get my meds back, but I doubt it.
# 3,734:
1:44 pm PDT, Aug 26,Michelle Chames, Idaho
I have a 6 year old who has begun having seizures. The Neurologist will not see him or read his EEG results until I pay a high down payment up-front. I don't qualify for Medicaid, making just slightly too much, but my husband is being garnished already for PAST medical bills, so we can barely afford our costs to live. We have 4 children, and can't even get low cost immunizations at the district health care office cheap because we "make too much", and have to pay for "an office check-up" first. Remind me again why I pay so much in taxes??
# 3,733:
4:17 pm PDT, Aug 25,Hollon Tena, Oklahoma
# 3,732:
4:12 pm PDT, Aug 25,Rick Blair, California
I recently suspected a possible staph (MRSA) infection due to the symptoms. I visted a sliding scale clinic because my employer does not provide insurance coverage. The doctor took about 6 to 7 minutes to look me over, ask me what I was mainly worried about (pain or infection) and prescribe antibiotics and pain medication. The prescription was more that I could afford so I treated my issue naturally. The system of lack of medical coverage for citizens, Doctors over willingness to prescribe drugs at the drop of a hat and an economic structure that is prohibitive to small companies to be able to afford health insurance coverage for their employees needs to CHANGE. Thank you.
# 3,731:
12:02 pm PDT, Aug 25,Ann Sumpter, Tennessee
When I go to A Doctor, They Make me pay up front, because I don't have innsuance,It's really hard when the is only 1 person working at a place that doesn't even offer Insurance,And You re to Old to start at another job thats offering Health coverage. We are stuck between a rock and hard place. I have been priced out of the insurance market. Between pre-existing conditions underwriting and costs of premiums i can no longer afford healthcare insurance, and therefor do not get the healthcarethat I need.
# 3,730:
9:07 pm PDT, Aug 24,Name not displayed, Pennsylvania
# 3,729:
5:36 pm PDT, Aug 24,Chris MacKrell, California
My Cobra administrator terminated me for non-payment of premiums. They got the amounts wrong - I was paid up but not credited.
# 3,728:
3:44 pm PDT, Aug 24,Name not displayed, Ohio
I have no insurance. Right now, I am sick. I work a 40 hr job & am in between health care agents. For 3-4 months. I have had no insurance. I have clinical depression. Right now, I am very depressed and it is effecting me going to my job. I do not want to get out of bed....and be the happy person on the phone. This is not right. I need my med's-I need to to able to keep my job,...not miss work and loose my job. No one understands.
Except those that go Thur it. It is a vicious cycle. I have made calls to Dr's. I have made calls to Drugs store's. I have made calls to Clinic's they all can not or will not help me!!!!! The clinic's says they need to have a BUNCH of money up front, just to see me. Even then THEIR doctor has to Diagnose me. What the Fudge is that?? Too much time...and I am going under..I know the symptom's...ya know, been there done that...whole hospital thing....don't want to go there again. My NEW employer...is in the health care field..LOL and my heath care coverage is for just me vs my income needs...not affordable....I do not know how long I will be able to keep it...I will have to drop some thing car insurance vs health insurance?? Wow, what a dilemma. This sucks....I have no living parents or back up.
There...hows that for life is a slit whole and we are just swimmer's like Michael Phelps...really fast.
# 3,727:
8:34 am PDT, Aug 24,Cher Nelson, Minnesota
I have two herniated disks in my neck. I've been suffering with this for over two years. I have had to put off having surgery because I cannot afford the co-pay of the hospital stay. I can no longer tolerate the pain and am scheduled for surgery, howeever, I have no idea where I'm going to get the money for the $2000-$4000 for my co-pay.
# 3,726:
11:46 am PDT, Aug 22,Patricia Kummer, Illinois
Constantly denying and stalling the payment of legitimate claims.
# 3,725:
3:41 am PDT, Aug 22,Raw Rii, Arizona
About 2 years ago, I suffered from a gran mal seizure and was taken in an ambulance to the local hospital. Still shaking and not able to walk after gaining back consciousness, the doctor sent me home with a huge bill of about $10,000. A few months later I suffered another seizure and was taken to a digfferent hospital where in fact they found out what was wrong with me after about a 12 hour stay and dozens of tests and MRI scans. My bill for that one stay was about $15,000. I, to this day, am paying monthly and barely making it by. Does anyone see teh difference here????
# 3,724:
5:42 pm PDT, Aug 20,Dave Harrell, Florida
My paycheck pays for two things. A $510.00 a month Insurance premium and my mortgage.
I make $9.65 an hour and support a family of four.
Do I need to say more ?
# 3,723:
8:38 am PDT, Aug 20,Lillie Van Scoy, Virginia
# 3,722:
4:28 pm PDT, Aug 19,Christine Gillen, Florida
I have been priced out of the insurance market. Between pre-existing conditions underwriting and costs of premiums i can no longer afford healthcare insurance, and therefor do not get the healthcarethat I need.
# 3,721:
12:38 pm PDT, Aug 19,Thomas Needell, California
I have been through some major medical problems lately. With coverage I had to pay $1000 in just co-pays and meds. This month on a procedure that was suppose to help the main problem and I was told when I was first doing it was covered is now costing me $600
# 3,720:
5:02 am PDT, Aug 18,Grace Fletcher, Ireland
# 3,719:
5:47 pm PDT, Aug 17,Bob Fischella, Arizona
# 3,718:
11:53 am PDT, Aug 17,Ladyanighnight Fisher, California
# 3,717:
10:17 am PDT, Aug 17,Kathleen Beasom, North Carolina
I qualified for Patient Assistance Programs and got my nine medications for free or for $5/month. Because I am disabled and on Medicare, I have to have Medicare Plan D. I pay $90 month just for the premium and still have to pay $25/mo for several of the prescriptions. Others of my prescriptions are not covered under my particular plan so I have to pay outright for them. My sole source of income in SSDI. Medicare Plan D has ruined my ability to keep within my budget, choose between food, medicine and gas, and generally have the basic amenities of living. My income as a single person is too high for the standard the Feds set for help but it was never too high to get Patient Assistance. However, Patient Assistance will not help Medicare people because they have Medicare Plan D available to them.
# 3,716:
7:17 pm PDT, Aug 16,Jennifer Burns, Florida
i make too much to get free health insurance (which is good) but the price of private insurance is draining me. than to top it off they want to charge me $60 a month for birth control!!! are they crazy, than the united states wonder way there are some many unwed mothers. lower the cost of birth control!!!!!
# 3,715:
1:25 pm PDT, Aug 16,Angela Rhodes, Greece
# 3,714:
7:45 am PDT, Aug 16,Sheryl Vanbaale, Iowa
Can't afford it cost way to much. Been without health care coverage mfor over 10 years. Had to have surgery now am faced with large hospital bill and doc. bill. No health care coverage and large bills doctors don';t want you to come in. My hospital where I live said couldn't come in there unless I am dying nice . Thought no on could be turned down for medcial care
# 3,713:
2:59 pm PDT, Aug 15,Amy Goldring Tajalli, Florida
Medicaid pays full price for many drugs but compensates by limiting the patients to an irrationally small number of those drugs. I have migraines from MS and arthritis but rather than bargain with the drug companies to lower the price of the migraine medicine, I am limited to 9 pills per month - all patients are limited to 9 per month regardless of the cause of the migraines as though the medicaid could limit the migraines by edict. Other drugs don't work but Medicaid does not listen. Nor do they allow the drugs to be refilled but each doctor must reapply for permission for each patient for each month to get the drugs. Thus the doctor has to waste all the extra time to explain the same thing every month for every patient. Doctors who treat medicaid patients are few enough without driving more of them out of the practice.
# 3,712:
12:24 pm PDT, Aug 15,Joel Clasemann, Minnesota
# 3,711:
11:05 am PDT, Aug 15,Jennifer Daneault, New York
I have many bills for emergency room visits and other dr bills I am not able to afford there needs to be help out there for us not able to pay for treatment we needed when we were extremely ill I have asthma and can die if not treated and when I have a severe attack what am i supposed to do say no dont take me to the er I can not afford it?
# 3,710:
7:04 am PDT, Aug 15,Susan Mcknight, Indiana
# 3,709:
5:28 am PDT, Aug 15,Laurie Cagnassola, New York
To help more people with diabetes, while you're on the petition site, sign mine too! We're bringing it to congress & need as many signatures as possible. Just type the word diabetes in the search bar and look for NIH: Please acknowledge existing science!
Thanks!
# 3,708:
10:02 pm PDT, Aug 14,Gloria L. Klimczak, Ohio
I have no insurance. I cannot afford it. I am on a fixed income. I am only 58, and do not qualify for Medicare. I have been told that I do not qualify for state medical aid, I assume due to the fact that my daughter and I share an apartment in a public housing facility. She takes all the deductions (for utilities, rent, etc.) since she has a child. My grandson has autism, and she gets no child support or any other help with expenses from his father. Most of my check each month goes toward food and household expenses. I do qualify for a whopping $19 a month in food stamps. I was told by a doctor that i should not be working several years ago, and luckily my late husband was in the service, so i was able to get a VA pension based on his service. I have checked into getting medical insurance, and the cost is prohibitive. I do what I can with vitamins and supplements, and hope that I do not get sick, since my daughter depends on me to help with my grandson while she is working and going to college for a degree to help her and my grandson get a better life.
# 3,707:
1:43 pm PDT, Aug 14,J T Butler, Texas
# 3,706:
1:26 pm PDT, Aug 14,Christina Sarne, Illinois
# 3,705:
12:02 pm PDT, Aug 14,Suzette Morrison-Kunkle, Florida
# 3,704:
11:22 am PDT, Aug 14,Jennifer Philpo, Texas
# 3,703:
2:35 pm PDT, Aug 13,Michael Miller, New York
# 3,702:
6:42 am PDT, Aug 13,Danielle Lewandowski, Maryland
I am 28 and disbled permanantly. I live off 400.00 bucks a month. My credit is ruined because of all the unpaid medical bills. No wonder alot of people suffer from depression....
# 3,701:
6:02 am PDT, Aug 13,Lee Roessler, Pennsylvania
It seems like every six months insurance coverage is changing so I can never keep track of what is or isn't covered and it's all in medical -ez so I can barely understand it to begin with. Every time it changes we get bombarded with junk mail that tells me I'm losing my coverage trying to trick me into purchasing extra coverage that I don't need. It's hard enough trying to get doctors, pharmacy and insurance on the same page to get what actually need. There's nothing worse than going into a pharmacy for something you must have and finding out your insurance won't pay for it. This is especially a problem for the elderly. Once when I was in a drug store there was an elderly lady in front of me. She was trying to decide which of about four prescriptions she absolutely had to have (which she needed all of them) and would be able to pay for or still be able to buy groceries, or pay rent. This should never happen, especially in the US.