House Speaker John Boehner is threatening to shut down the federal government to block the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. If Boehner gets his way, millions of working Americans would be denied access to health insurance. Boehner's disciples call this "freedom," because they object "on principle" to helping to pay for the health insurance costs of less fortunate Americans. Meanwhile, however, we all have to pay for John Boehner's smoking habit, because he has taxpayer-financed health insurance. A recent study found that the excess healthcare cost of smokers, who have higher rates of lung disease, heart disease, various cancers and other illnesses, was more than two thousand dollars per smoker per year. Tell John Boehner to end his hypocrisy: quit smoking cigarettes or quit trying to defund Obamacare. Reference: "Smoking employees cost $6,000 a year more, study finds," Maggie Fox, Senior Writer, NBC News, June 3, 2013, http://www.nbcnews.com/health/smoking-employees-cost-6-000-year-more-study-finds-6C10182631

I am starting this petition in response to my personal outrage over what it costs a middle class individual on the healthcare exchanges to purchase healthcare coverage. Currently for me and my husband this is quoted at 1,250.00 a month and because we both work we do not qualify for a subsidy. Until now we were paying $850.00 a month for a high deductible plan. We are both healthy and rarely go to the doctor. Why should an individual be outraged: because those that are getting closer to retirement age, those not yet eligible for Medicare are paying for the expanded services of those with lesser incomes. Also, it is hard for a small business to grow and pay the rates insurance companies charge and I believe there is quite a bit of price gouging going on right now. You should be outraged also because the money an individual has to save for retirement is now either not available, or significantly decreased due to this increased expenditure. Some individuals will be forced to pay the penalty of not having a policy rather than risk bankruptcy.Healthcare reform in it's current state does not control the rising costs of healthcare which is currently around 10,000 a day in a hospital. I have worked in healthcare for thirty years. What healthcare reform does is expand services which in itself is good but not when it causes so much hardship on a select sector of the population that is being priced out of being able to afford healthcare. Before healthcare reform many couldnt even enroll in healthcare plans but now the lower incomes groups are able to but only because healthier groups and the middle class is footing the bill.Healthcare reform is great if your poor or make below 45k a year. There is some incentive to work less so a person won't have to pay as much for healthcare. These are my thoughts and while it is difficult to come up with a fairer system I think congress should think about the dissapearance of the middle class and who foots the bills of this country. If you loose the middle class you loose the population of the country that pays the goverment bills. Thank you

In my profession, I have worked with many families who were hard-working but couldn't afford health insurance while at the same time, not being eligible to receive Medicaid assistance. I have seen the negative effects of this on the children of our state. The ACA Medicaid expansion funds would alleviate this problem greatly.

Unable to repeal Obamacare at the federal level, Republicans have taken their ideological crusade to deny health care access for the uninsured elsewhere. The Florida Department of Health has banned federal outreach workers (called “Navigators”) from coming onto state health facilities for the purpose of signing up the uninsured for subsidized health care coverage available under Obamacare. Please sign our petition telling Florida Department of Health officials to allow health care Navigators on state owned health facilities to discuss the Affordable Care Act.

We started this petition to advocate for more effective behavioral and mental health services on college campuses. In 2011, the Association of University and College Counseling Center did a survey that found the ratio of counselors to students to be 1 to 1,879, when the recommended ratio is 1 to 1,000 for accreditation.

All Americans should have access to quality health care.

Because as a Mexican American I am offended that 72% of the 2 Million Human Deportations by 2014 have Roots like I do from Mexico. This is 100% Racial Profiling by the Obama Administration. Where is the Our American Human Compassion, Our Human American Civil & Human Rights! The Following Human Rights Activists Agree That It Is Time for President Obama to Suspend Deportations: David R Gonzalez (Arizona), Julieta Andrade-Garcia (Illinois), Jennifer Marie Chenoweth-Ruiz (Georgia), Teodoro Palacios (N. Carolina), Tim Paynter (Colorado) & Richard Hartwell (State of Washington)! Please Read, Sign & Share This Petition! Gracias/Thanks

Two children of a close friend of mine have been suffering from the devastatingly painful and crippling affects of Chronic Lyme disease for more than 13 years primarily due a succession of medical doctor misdiagnosis's for over 5 years. More needs to be done to educate not only doctors but the public to consider Lyme as a cause of symptoms such as unexplained muscle and/or joint pain, headache, stiff neck, fever, chills and swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated or under treated Lyme disease can and often does become a chronic disease that leaves its victims mere shells of their former selves and all the while experiencing random and intense bouts of pain, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.

I, and many others, have pre-existing conditions that will cause insurance companies to find us not eligible for insurance or charge a really high premium for healthcare. It's time for the people to speak instead of insurance lobbyists.

Instead of working to expand the middle class, House Republicans passed a temporary budget that would defund Obamacare and maintain deep cuts to education, job training, and other vital services. Soon, the Senate will vote whether to pass the House budget as it is or modify it so that Obamacare is funded. That's why we need Senator Mark Kirk to stand with the people of Illinois, not extremists like Sen. Ted Cruz who would risk our nation's fiscal security to defund Obamacare and gain political leverage.

Health care costs are spiraling out of control. The legislative branch is in charge of finding a solution and is insulated from the effects by having the best health care insurance paid for by US taxpayers. It is time to level the playing field.

US Naval Shipyard, Newtown, Aurora, and numerous other mass murders could have been prevented. There needs to be a call for action by the powers that be identify and treat those with serious mental illness.