Retired workers on Medicare often have spouses who are not covered by Medicare. On Occasion, they also may have minor children who are uncovered by Medicare. As a result, a family may have a fragmented health insurance situation, with the head of household on Medicare, a spouse under an expensive individual plan, and children who may be under school insurance plans. It is expensive and confusing. This petition would unite family coverage under a single Medicare coverage.

Most doctors and several hospitals in the NY metropolitan area do not accept private insurance. For example, the NYSHIP Empire Plan ( to which most teachers, fireman and police officers belong) is not accepted by 95% of the doctors at NYPresbyterian/Colombia/ Cornell Hospital/ Hospital for Special Surgery (one of the best and largest in the country). Out of pocket expenses for a consultation alone can run thousands of dollars making it prohibitive for most patients. The healthcare system in this country continues to be rife with inequities in accessibility, cost and quality, and abundantly mismanaged, cost ineffective and corrupt. Our legislators need to continue to work on this problem to maximize quality, eliminate fraud and minimize the inequities that currently exist.

Labeling GMO foods and food products that contain GMOs. Make people under stand that high fructose corn syrup is not the same as sugar and it is making us all fat. Our food is contaminated with too much pesticides. It is critical that we change the way our children eat.

Pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars advertising for a product that can only be obtained from a physician. Therefore I believe it is prudent that they re direct the money spent on advertising to reduce the cost to customers. Physicians are well aware of all available prescription medications. There is no need for advertising.

We all need to do are part in getting HR 1322 passed before we all lose our healthcare. This is not just a union problem, it affects all of us. We'll never get it back once they take it away!

Gov. LePage is seeking to axe 65,000 off of Mainecare. I am a clinical social worker who cares for mentally ill and substance dependant people. Many or most are on Mainecare, which they would likely lose if the cuts go through. If that happens, we will have even more crime as addicts have to "steal or deal" to feed their habits. And the mentally ill people would commit suicide or have other tragedies.

We all need to do are part in getting HR 1322 passed before we all lose our healthcare. This is not just a union problem, it affects all of us. We'll never get it back once they take it away!

it is about time that the uninsurred are not charged more for medical services than insurance companies. it is a known fact that the uninsurred are charged 4 to 10 times more for the same services. if we are concerned about the rising costs especially attributable to the unpaid medical costs we have an opportunity to reduce these unpaid costs by reducung what hospitals can rite off as unpaid. if we use the medicaid fee structure we can substantially reduce our unpaid medical costs saving billions of dollars each year.

I work for a state employer that allows me and others to get health insurance at low or no cost - because we are in a GROUP. I don't understand why insurance companies can't offer group insurance to individuals/families that are in the same region. The group shares the burden of the cost while getting the benefits.

Presently the Arizona Insurance Commission does not get involved if a health insurance company pays any money toward a claim. Consequently, in emergency situations a health insurance company can get away with paying out-of-network 60% vs the 80% that should be paid for emergency situations. example: a car accident where the patient is taken to the closest hospital. This causes personal hardship and an increase in filing for personal bankruptcy in Arizona.

The United States federal and state governments are not fullfilling their mission to protect the lives of Americans from illness and death by tobacco. Despite the loss of more than 430,000 Americans and more than a million innocent mourners annually the public health funds to reduce the harm from this epidemic are denied while tobacco taxes are increased. The President, congress, state governors and their legislators are asked to redress this unacceptable annual death toll from tobacco by directing that sufficient public health funds from the rising tobacco tax revenue be allocated to the programs and agencies responsible for tobacco harm reduction programs.

In September 2011, Governor Christie submitted a request for a federal waiver to the Center of Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) in Washington. He is requesting permission to give New Jersey's precious Medicaid program (the part that covers nursing home care) to private, managed care, for-profit companies. Most Americans are not super-rich, and therefore, depend on Medicaid insurance being there for them in their time of great need when either they or their friends and family need long-term nursing home care. President Obama's phone number is 202-456-1111, and Secretary Sebelius's phone number is 202-205-5445. Call now, as the waiver request is near the end of a 90-day review process, and time is running out. Please tell your friends & family to call too.