President Obama will answer the nation’s questions on health care tonight during the much-talked-about “Questions for the President: Prescription for America” forum, which airs at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC. The president will take questions from an audience made up of "Americans selected by ABC News who have divergent opinions in this historic debate" and others submitted via ABCNews.com. Among those participants are five people who contacted Consumers Union to tell us about some of the challenges they've faced getting affordable, high quality health care:
Ken Bragg of Fayetteville, W. Va.: Ken is an insurance agent who knows first-hand how expensive and inadequate health plans can be. Ken says that many of the people who come to purchase health insurance do not qualify because of pre-existing conditions or are only offered expensive policies. He and his wife have experienced ever-increasing premiums with a high deductible for a policy they rarely use. Ken fears that the high cost of health insurance may force him to abandon running his own insurance agency and go back to work for a large company just for the health-care benefits.
David Cress of Gahanna, Ohio: Although he was covered at the time with an individual health-insurance policy, David was left with more than $100,000 in unpaid medical bills after treatment and surgery for a rare disease. When his premiums climbed to $700 per month, he was forced to drop his policy. Now uninsured, David struggles to pay out of pocket for his ongoing care and was forced to file for bankruptcy late last year.
Tom Roberts of Pittsburgh: Tom is the president and chief executive officer of three historic cemeteries and a funeral home in Alleghany County (Pittsburgh), Pa. He’s watched health-care premiums increase over the years with a 50 percent jump last year and a 37 percent increase this year for his group plan covering 14 employees. Tom says that if something doesn’t change soon with the cost of health insurance, he’ll have to look at letting employees go or discontinuing their health insurance.
Helen Haskell of Columbia, S.C.: Helen’s 15-year old son, Lewis, underwent surgery to correct a breastbone defect. His surgery went smoothly, but he was given improper pain medication and developed a perforated ulcer, a hospital-acquired infection, and began to bleed internally. The medical staff treating her son didn’t recognize how much his condition was deteriorating until right before he died in the hospital. When she researched the issue she became convinced that it was"an accident waiting to happen," and went on to establish Moms Against Medical Errors.
Jeff Kintner of Winston-Salem, N.C.: A self-employed realtor with a wife and child, he says his health insurance monthly premium of $940 is "highway robbery and can only be used in the worst case of illness." His family can’t shop around for other insurance because of pre-existing conditions. "Large insurance companies want nothing to do with you if you have any pre-existing condition," he says. "We need to revamp the health-care system with affordable premiums and coverage for all."
Watch tonight and find out how President Obama will answer questions on fixing our broken health-care system, and take a look at how Consumers Union would fix U.S. health care.
—Ginger Skinner
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