Would You Like to Ask Secretary Kathleen Sebelius a Question?

My husband is unemployed and my health insurance is ended after COBRA expires. The Missouri pool will cost $801. per mo. and I can’t afford that. Humana’s conversion policy would cost $3,616. per mo. with a life time maximum benefit amount of $25,000. I really can’t afford that. What can I do at age 62 until I reach 65 and apply for Medicare? I am self employed and gross about $24,000. per year.

I am self employed and pay 100% of my health care. Right now I have no work and I don’t know where to turn. I don’t qualify for any unemployment or health care assistance. I am also very concerned about 2011 when I will have to pay taxes for health care that I cannot have access to for 6 years and also have to pay for my own health care (assuming I will be able to afford it). Why do I have to double pay and the big labor unions who supported Obama are excluded?

I just want to know why there is no talk of impeaching this idiot!?!

I am a non-traditional college student living on a fixed income. I do not have a current health care policy and I have several pre-existing conditions. Will there be a plan available to me that I can afford, which will cover me 100%?

My health is deteriorating. If I cannot receive medical care on a couple of my pre-existing conditions I could die very young due to curable causes.

why is over 51% of people going too lose their company health care due to this new bill when obama promised they would not. and how is it lowering the price of the medical cost. and is this a step too nationalise are health care like englands

I submitted a question via the email address on your blog, but, it came back as undeliverable!

Please ! Bring the Cobra rates back down and extend them! This will save peoples lives and dignity! I am diabled and, now am not sure how I will survive. Please help us President Obama! While the disabled are considered disposable, I pray that you do not feel the same way! Illness can strike anyone at anytime…and the pain of the illness is enough….the stress of healthcare can make an illness much worse! HELP US SIR!

@ Jamie,

Who has had their coverage cut? Help me understand what you are concerned about.

I retired from a school system in 2006. After I retired, I chose to purchase Medical Insurance from a company which contacted me. I did check with the Better Business Bureau to make sure the company was a reputable and was given good information about the Insurance company. I was informed, on the May 30, 2010 that I was no longer covered by AML Insurance company.
I am 59 years old; and I do have a couple of Pre-existing conditions but am still very healthy. I want to know: What should I do now? This company has shut down and is under investigation by the Missouri Department of Insurance.

I am unemployed and have a pre-existing condition. What do I need to do to get healthcare coverage in the high-risk plan starting July, 1,2010, and what will it cover?

I hope that U.S. governments solve USPTO’s Lynn Spitzer’s fake & illegal patent crime as soon as possible. So, I can pay health care fee here. Thanks.

My godson is just about 2 1/2 years old. He lives on a fixed income with his mom and they are living on the welfare system. He has a lot of health issues that until now she did not have to worry about paying for taking him to the local childrens’ hospital to get his monthly meds and such. I am worried that costs are going to go up for them and I am just wondering what this new health care plan is going to do to help that situation? I worry so much for him. I am worried also that the mother will have to pay for the health plan and then be reimbursed, is this true?

Please explain to those idiots that oppose this bill,that all the lies that where put out about this bill will be shown up.I can’t beleive how many times they been told how a good thing this bill will help the not so rich,yet they keep repeating these same lies that the bill is no good. The ones that think the bill should be repeal need to use the benifits that the bill provides and go see a shrink. It is un-american to be so selfish and stupid at the same time

I retired at 59 becaue of a health condtion. I have been on COBRA for 18 mos since my husband retired. Because I have insurance until Sept 1 I do not qualify for the Federal pool for pre-existing conditions (have to be without insurance 6 months) So my state of Connecicut premiums will be $1775 per month or over $21,000 per year. Is that fair? Did you forget about that group?

I am executive director of a nonprofit org. that promotes health with emphasis on minority males. Group policy only includes employee/employer relations. Can a nonprofit organization and an insurance company create a cooperative agreement in order to ensure insurance to the public they serve? I am aware of a healthcare savings plan but it is not the same thing.

Good luck tomorrow, Michael

My insurance premiums have stayed the same for the last five years. This year they are going up $750. Where’s the “affordable health care” President Obama promised?

Thanks,
One of the over-taxed middle class

Why does the Obama administration think they can bribe elders with a $250 check for their vote?

Just more dirty politics?

I have the same comments and request to be answered as of Elizabeth which state as under:

I am unemployed and have a pre-existing condition. What do I need to do to get healthcare coverage in the high-risk plan starting July, 1,2010, and what will it cover?

Thanks
Kris

I am aware that tax payers are taking a burden on to pay for the uninsured citizens of the country. Illegal immigration is an on going problem. What plan do you have to make sure tax payers are giving up their hard earned money to pay for only legitimate citizens to become insured? How will you make sure illegal immigrants do not have access to become insured?

Thanks

As an employee of a provider office, I’m wondering what the effects of having more people with higher out of pocket expenses will be to the providers of the country. Will this “obama plan” help providers if the patient’s don’t pay for their deductible and coinsurance or will we just have more bad debt than ever before and risk practices closing left and right?

I am in the same boat as Diane Neuroth. My wife and I will be Paying $21,000 in annual premiums (with $5,000 per person deductable) when my cobra runs out this December. Like Diane, we will be forced to use the Missouri high risk pool because of an abundance of routine pre-exisitng condiditons. Our income includes only a very small pension and my social security. Our total medical costs will equal 60% to 75% of this income. The new legislation does not seem to help us at all. I have emailed HHS five times with this question but have not had a response either on the web site or on aqny of the webcasts. Can anyhone out ther help clearify this?

Oregon passed legislation requiring Mental Health parity in insurance coverage in 2007. Since that time, the insurance companies have come up with ways to charge much higher copays for Mental Health appointments. I spoke with someone Monday who was sold a policy by Regence Blue of Oregon that doesn’t include Mental Health coverage. I called the State Insurance Division and the man there told me that even though Oregon has one of the best parity laws in the country, 60% of people don’t have Mental Health coverage because the insurance companies find ways to wiggle out of it. The federal bill has Mental Health coverage. Without a public option, how will you make the insurance companies adhere to the intent of these laws?

Like several other posters i am 59 and self employed. My health insurance plus the copays i pay for meds is over 1000.00 bux a month.. This is almost of third of my gross monthly income. I’m in a state high risk pool that is run by a board of insurance company executives and i’m not eligible for the federal pool. 4 years from the exchange.. 6 years from Medicare and going down FAST. I don’t qualify for tax breaks because i’m a sole proprietor. Help!!

I am 54 and unemployed.My wife and I are living off of her income.She makes 12.30 an hour and most times does’nt work more than 35 hours a week.We have health insurance through her job.It is a good plan but very expensive. I need this insurance because of health problems which are keeping me out of work but unable to get S.S.D.We are struggleing to make ends meet but are not making it.We where planning to drop our insurance to help. if it comes to a choice of paying rent or eating or paying our insurance what choice do we have?I see the new law says that people who do’nt have insurance will pay a fine.We could get a cheaper plan but what it covers is’nt worth it.It would cost us more.We do’nt know what to do.We either become homeless or starve to pay for our health insurance.

My husband passed away in 2008 leaving my daughters with no health ins. This left my income only to survive on so I could not put them on my plan because it was too expensive and I needed all of my income to meet the bills. After being without iins. for over 2 years my 20 year old began working full time and took out a policy of her own. Two days before her coverage became effective I had taken her to a walk in clinic for a bad headache. She was diagnosed with a migraine and given medication. The following week she was still having a headache and her vision was blurred. She made an appt. with an eye dr. assuming her eyesight might be the cause of her headaches. Needless to say…the eye dr sent her for a scan and she was diagnosed with a brain tumor five days after her insurance coverage was in affect. She had to have surgery twice and only a portion of the tumor could be removed. Radiation is in her future plus she will have to monitor by scans and MRI the growth of the tumor for the rest of her life. The insurance company has ruled it to be preexisting and will not pay for any of the claims. (and there are numerous claims) How can something be preexisting when you, the patient never knew it existed? They said her headaches were a symptom and that is what they based their decision on. In the last two years she had went to the Dr. office maybe 4 or 5 times with headaches. Always, we were told by the professionals thats migraine headaches probably associated with stress

My husband’s employer no longer offers insurance to his employees due to the economy. I work at small newspaper where they have never offered insured. I have been deemed “uninsurable” due to pre-existing conditions. I can’t afford to pay high risk pool prices! So therefore – I am uninsured. What are people like us supposed to do when the individual plans will not give us coverage?

Mike,

I submitted a question but was unable to connect to your live interview with Katherine (presumably because interest was so high). I know that I am not alone in this. Is there any way that we can view a recording of that webcast? I would really like to see it because I am certain that you asked her many relavent questions that others had not yet had the opportunity to ask.

Thank you very much.

Can we get the repeal of this horrible act initiated now? After November it will happen anyway.

Health care costs are out of control because the private companies are charging outrageous fees. Example: My wife rented an Oxygenator from LINCARE for $100.00. They in turn charged our insurance company United Health Care $400.00. All for a machine which costs about $650.00 new. UHC passes that cost on to the consumer. We paid for a year until we bought a used machine off the web. If this is any indication of what’s happening around the country it’s no wonder why health care costs are out of sight!!!!

Repealing the current Affordable Healthcare Act is NOT the answer. That’s like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. There are too many good things in this bill. The ability to get affordable healthcare insurance when you have pre-existing conditions through your state. IF your state agrees to it. I’m lucky California is participating. For many families NOT having a cap on benefits will be saving the life of their child. My previous insurance had a 5K cap??? Can you believe that? Seniors are going to end up paying less for their prescriptions with this plan. Millions are going to be able to get insured. Sad to say there will be a few people left out, but it’s a damn good start. Do I like everything no. I don’t like the tax credits. I would rather pay less up front. But I’m not complaining. We have been given more opportunity for decent healthcare than ever before thanks to the leadership of President Obama! Go Prez. Obama!

GO LAURA!

laura,get a job dummy…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

LAURAS A BIG DUMMY.

ALRIGHT ANGRY JOE I AGREE’

I lost my job in October, and my COBRA will run out in March. I cannot afford the state comprehensive health insurance plan. I have bipolar disorder and if I can’t get my medication, I will be very sick. I’m a functional bipolar patient who has been employed for the last 13 years of my life after college. I’ve never been without insurance benefits or been on COBRA so long. I’m persistent in my job search and take on freelance and part-time assignments whenever I can find them. But I have not had one offer for the over sixty jobs I’ve applied for. I don’t want to hear about getting low-cost medication and living without insurance. I think that is a horrible option, considering a hospitalization for a bipolar patient could cost thousands of dollars or mean going into a state mental health insitution. Hospitalization is always a possiblity when you are bipolar. I haven’t been hospitalized since 1999, but it is my biggest fear. I do everything to take care of my health and finances. I am responsible adult. I’m very angry that my current solution is to accept poverty and mental instability because preventive care for mental health patients is not optimal.