I grew up in an upper-middle class family. we had good health benefits. I was in the hospital for 8 days because of an eating disorder which cost 20,000 dollars...of this my mother had to pay 20%. She retired early to spend more time with me during this time and our health care ran out...we had to cease my therapy because we couldn't afford 200 dollars a week plus insurance payments. Keep in mind, when she retired she was still making more than the average income.

To this day, she is not insured and anxiously awaiting Medicare....worried that the entitled benefits will run out before she can recieve it.

In my case, my fiance and I got pregnant and had no health care. My employer (an avid bush supporter) said I could be eligible if I worked 40 hours a week for 3 months. THere were no reasonable accomadation and I was off the required amount by 5 hours 1 week. I didn't recieve my insurance until 5 months after it was promised.

I had to pay 180 dollars each visit, once a month....This was on top of the bills that came in monthly (up to 2000 dollars.)

Once I got my insurance, my employer changed the plan on me which didn't offer as good of benefits, so I had to pay 20% out of pocket for ALL services. That included weekly visits and the 3 day REQUIRED hospital stay.

We had insurance for our daughter from my husband until he had to change jobs. We thought it would be quick to get insurance benefits, but realized that it would cost us between 300-400 dollars a month in benefits.

I stay at home with my daughter now, and although my husband makes the average American income (40,000) - we still can't afford insurance. We don't have cable, have basic internet for my schooling, and are very frugal people. If we did have insurance, we couldn't pay for our medical bills.

While I could go to work - if I did, we'd have to spend up to 800 dollars a month in childcare....barely worth the job.

I still am scared, to this day that we will get pregnant again or our daughter will get sick or get hurt. Just taking her to the doctor to get her routine immunization's cost $500!!!! And we recently had to go to the hospital which will total in the thousands!!!

Health care needs reform. Considering that the Average American can't afford insurance anymore....pretty soon none of us will.