My name is Mike McCready, and I play guitar for Pearl Jam. I also have Crohn's disease, a chronic condition that requires regular medical care to control my symptoms. I'm thankful our band has done well and I have the resources, monetary or other, to cover health care costs rejected by my insurer. Not everyone is so lucky. I think about all the kids I've met with Crohn's and other chronic illnesses and worry that they will not receive the health care they need. We have a unique opportunity this November to declare that health care is not a luxury, but a right. Beginning January 1, 2014, the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as ObamaCare, will prevent insurance companies from denying health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions. Further, insurers will no longer be allowed to set premiums based on health status. Without ObamaCare, many people will automatically be denied enrollment into insurance policies, regardless of what they are willing to pay, based solely on suffering from a pre-existing condition. ObamaCare will also make it easier for everyone to purchase private health insurance by requiring states to set up marketplaces, which provide clear comparisons of the various health insurance options. Some candidates have vowed to repeal ObamaCare, but claim they would still somehow protect those with pre-existing conditions. Don't fall for it. We had to fight for years to get these protections. Some provisions of ObamaCare have already been implemented, benefitting millions of people. More than 2.5 million young adults can now remain on their parents' health plans until the age of 26. Pre-existing condition exclusions for children under the age of 19 have been eliminated. Fifty-four million Americans now receive free preventive care. ObamaCare increased annual limits on policy coverage and removed lifetime limits. This provides more health care for patients with chronic conditions, who may have otherwise reached their limits from a few procedures. Additionally, ObamaCare expanded our right to appeal insurance company denials for payment or coverage under your policy. We now have the right to appeal to an Independent Review Organization that can overturn your insurer's decision. Because of this process, the external review board was able to overturn denials from my insurance company for life-supporting treatments of my disease on two occasions. Our health insurance providers no longer have the final word. This November, we must ensure that all Americans receive access to health care coverage. Pledge to vote only for candidates who support President Obama's Affordable Care Act.

This is a health issue. In 2007 when President Obama was running for election he stated he was going to have all GMO products labelled. He has not tackled this subject yet. I would like to see the president, if re-elected for another term address this important topic. Monsanto, the producer of GMO products, is fully aware of all the dangers to our health if they continue to use the herbicides and pesticides, which they are manufacturing and growing all our food with. Studies have shown that all these herbicides and pesticides are harmful to our health.

The signors of this petition consist of people who have paid Medicare taxes faithfully throughout their working lives. We are waging a class-action lawsuit against the Romney/Ryan Republican-led plan to dismantle our Medicare terms and to create a "Vouchercare" system. Medicare taxes consist of the people's money. This is a contractual dispute between the undersignors and the members of the Republican party who propose to unilaterally change the terms of this contractual agreement without the people's consent.

My son Miles has a rare disease called Menkes. He requires 24 hour a day nursing care and is covered by Medicaid due to his life limiting illness. We are fortunate enough to live in the state of Colorado where they have a program to help families like us. The state will reimburse health care providers who hire parents of children with life limiting illnesses and train them to become a Certified Nurses Assistant. My wife took the courses, passed the tests and is now employed by a health care provider to give care to my son so an outside nurse doesn't have to and my wife doesn't need to get another job. Some states see caring for your child in any form as "paternal duties" but I can tell you there is nothing paternal about G-Tubes, suction catheters and emergency seizure medication administering. My wife replacing a skilled Registered Nurse in our home saves the Medicaid system approximately $40,000 annually! It is not only cost efficient but the right thing to do for a family already dealing with such a tough circumstance. In my heart, I feel Miles has out lived expectations of his disease partially due to the paternal love he feels more than other children, in other states whose parents have to find jobs during such a tough situation and have a stranger come in to care for their child. Thank you for your time, Jonathan V. Taylor Denver, Colorado

It is unconscionable that their are many million Americans who cannot obtain health insurance. America is the only developed nation in the world without national health care. No one should consider health care as socialism. No God of any religion would sanction not caring for our people.

I do not have dental benefits anymore, and I cannot get any care except emergency care. If a person has bad teeth it could lead to other health problems later in life and more medical bills whereas preventative care and dental benefits/dentical would help low income and disabled people like myself to get their teeth fixed and the proper care we as people need and deserve. Thank you

In my, case is I am on DSSI, with a pre-existing condition called epilepsy. I am not alone. More people out than ever. I am also disabled on medicare only age 54. In the doughnut hole. Not by choice is what it is. Can't afford to lose my medicare. I hope Obama wins re-election 2012 and addresses gets aggressive more this time on DEBATE. It's so important! Stakes are High! I'm for OBAMACARE!

obama wants to give vouchers and tax people without insurance. if unsurance premiums could be afforded people would buy them. we need to keep medicare qans medicaid as well as social security in place. i worked my entire life and now that i need it i cannot get social security.

As a single female with no children, I spend the last 2 months of my mother's life, helping her to die in her own home. I then wondered, "who's going to ever do this for me?" Do it with love and compassion and not to make a buck keeping you in a Medicaid bed as long as possible, stripping you of all your assets you've worked your life to acquire. I watched my father and grandmother die that way. Any hospital that would take you did... as long as they could bill Medicaid. At the limit...they find another place to place you.. and it keeps on until you die. If advocated were given to elders that needed someone to watch their back, I think Medicare wouldn't get away with sucking the system and then you dry. Statistics show that most people die in poverty. On Government medical assistance... Money for Advocates would serve to make sure that people with no help from friends or family had a person assigned to not let this happen. I saw it sadly through my own eyes... very obvious. Abuse of Medicare through abuse of the patient. I ask that Medicare also be responsible to pay for these advocates and show good faith to their insured, not use them as money makers. These are people with faces. People at the end of their lives, and this is the final respect and care they deserve. I want to be an Advocate, but I can't do it without a salary or guidelines. I'd like to make this an option to Medicare patients. Ask for an Advocate, have one assigned, and this Advocate have access to medical records. Advocate can serve 5 people at the very most. One visit a week, or as needed per patient. $500 a week for an Advocate can save thousands of dollars in Medicare waste and abuse. Seems like a reasonable idea.

Elected officials in Federal office currently have life-long health care benefits (personal and family) after they leave office. This is grossly unfair that the tax payer should subsize - for life - the health care of a retired elected official, even when that official continually votes down the potential for affordable health care for its citizens (e.g. John Kyl, R- Arizona). These former elected officials should have the same as most workers - once they leave office, they can apply for temporary coverage (18 months max) and then they must find their own coverage outside of tax payer funded programs.

This petitiion is about allowing people to be informed when they are eating GMO foods. As a clinician practicing for 30 years I have seen many clients become ill from foods that are genetically modified. They had no idea they were eating foods that had been tampered with. People have a right to know.

TV ads for Prescription medications are bombarded onto the American public every minute, does this justifies the high price of medications in the USA compared with the rest of the world? Same prescriptions are about a tenth of the USA in Mexico, Canada or the rest of the world. Stop commercials, lower the cost of medications.