If true, this deal raises serious questions about Speaker Bill Howell and Terry Kilgore’s manipulation of government jobs as leverage to prevent closing the coverage gap for 400,000 Virginians. This isn’t the first time accusations have arisen regarding mismanagement and patronage at the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. In fact, in 2010 a commissioner was convicted of defrauding the Commission of $4M and a 2011 JLARC report questioned the Commission’s governance practices and called for better oversight. Virginians deserve answers over how state jobs were used as leverage in a political fight over extending affordable health care to Virginia families, and assurances that Tobacco Commission resources haven’t been misappropriated for political purposes under the current management. Join us in calling for an investigation right now.

Observation status is a designation used by hospitals to bill Medicare. As a result of this designation, more and more seniors are experiencing difficulties getting Medicare coverage for admission to skilled nursing facility (SNF), along with other billing issues. In fact, Medicare estimates show that 1.6 million seniors were placed in “observation status” during a hospital stay in 2011. This is a 69 percent increase over the previous 5 years. Medicare beneficiaries who have played by the rules and contributed their entire working lives to the program so that they can have peace of mind and be covered for medically necessary services should not find themselves incurring unexpected costs and having to hire attorneys to get the coverage they already paid for. One solution that would solve this situation is for Congress to pass the bipartisan bill Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2013, S.569 and H.R. 1179, introduced by Senators Sherrod Brown and Susan Collins and Representatives Joe Courtney and Tom Latham, which would amend Medicare law to count a beneficiary’s time spent in the hospital on “observation status” towards the three-day hospital stay requirement for skilled nursing care. The measure would also establish a 90-day appeal period following passage for those that have a qualifying hospital stay and have been denied skilled nursing care after January 1, 2013.

I'm an 43 year old adoptee who has medical issues, and my autistic son may have more medical issues in the future . I need to know my birth family's medical history. I have found my birth mother and I have personally contacted her on the phone, but she has denied that she is my birth mother; she wished that one day i find my birth mother. So the only alternative to get my family's medical history is by changing the current state law. We are about 6,000,000 adult adoptees in the U.S.A. and most of us have no access to our birth family's medical history, or even our own medical history from before our adoption. Candice Inglezos

I personally use Medical Cannabis for severe PTSD, IBS, Chronic Wasting disease, and degenerative disk disease. I have been on many, many Psychotropics and pain meds that only affected me negatively. Since I have been using Medical Cannabis my quality of life has excelled. I now have the opportunity to enjoy my life and pursue a life of happiness. I do not want that right taken away. We must fight for our rights before we lose what we still have. Thank You for your Support.

Because of their overwhelming wish to bring this President down, they have lied to their constituency and helped to keep thousands from getting medicaid expansion and/or insurance while they, of course, personally have the best. These are not "leaders" in any sense of the word.

I want every single human being to know how breast cancer affective is.

To speak for my husband who died due to lack of proper emergency care and delay in treatment. It was on a weekend and there wasn't proper staff to read his CAT scan until Monday.

Help us SAVE 3,342 NC FAMILIES! A proposed Medicaid budget cut will force people with disabilities to enter institutions rather than receive health care at home. It will force working families to lose their jobs so they can stay home to take care of their loved ones, and no doubt costly hospitalizations will increase. These cuts make life more difficult, if not impossible, for thousands of NC families in great need.

Our very unpopular governor is holding hostage thousands of PA poor by not accepting Medicaid funds under the ACA. He is waiting for his plan to be approved by the ACA. His plan: a work requirement for recipients and funneling the funds to private health insurance companies to cover fewer of the poor in the coverage gap. I hope the ACA doesn't approve his plan. We need these funds to create more jobs in PA, and to keep many of our rural small hospitals open, and most important, to allow thousands of poor PA citizens to access healthcare.

I had low cholesterol and blood pressure, didn't have diabetes, and was a non-smoker. But I lost my career because of stroke. So if you think it couldn't happen to you, think again. More research should be done for its causes and treatment--immediately!

This petition is to give hope to Americans suffering from incurable diseases such as but not limited to; auto immune diseases, cancers, STD's, skin disorders, paralysis and nerve damage. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2010, it is an auto immune disease that affects the muscles and nerves and it has restricted my abilities tremendously. This disease has been in America for over fifty years with little insight of its origin or a cure and I want the government to share the cures of all medical diseases that are known to be safe to mankind or be punished. One nation under God is the American we must take part in freeing God's children!!!

I had a good friend, Billy, who died two years ago because he got sick, lost his job, and didn't qualify for Medicaid in Florida. Six people in Florida die every day because they cannot afford to purchase health insurance, yet the Florida legislature, callously, and for purely political reasons, refuses to bring Medicaid expansion up for a vote. The failure to expand Medicaid in Florida will lead to the forfeiture of $50 billion over ten years, and the closure of hospitals due to cuts in federal reimbursements for uncompensated care. People in Florida are dying from curable diseases because the Florida legislature insists on legislating based on hatred of President Obama. My friend Billy was one death too many. It's time to do the right thing: Expand Medicaid in Florida!