Juanita WellsI am one of the 46 million Americans that are uninsured or underinsured. I’m uninsured because of the out of control costs of medical insurance.

Following years of employment with medical insurance coverage, I became a victim of downsizing – not once but twice. I am currently employed by a non-profit group with less than five full-time employees which offers no medical coverage. My salary is too high to qualify for any kind of state or federal sponsored health insurance, and at 56 years old I am too young to qualify for Medicare. Having survived cancer and currently battling high blood pressure and diabetes, it is not possible to find insurance coverage due to these pre-existing conditions.

In order to continue to keep these pre-existing conditions under control, I must pay for my medical expenses out of pocket including $1000 for a CAT scan, doctor visits, medication, and lab work, which leaves me with a very tight budget to manage. Thankfully, I’ve been able to find some relief through the Visiting Nurse Association in Aurora and by comparing prices at local pharmacies and over the internet.

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Diego AlvarezMy name is Diego Daniel Alvarez and I’m 14 years old. I have an older sister and younger brother. My dad loves me and my mom adores me. I also have friends and family that care for me. I came from Mexico City seeking an opportunity not for a better life, but simply: for life.

I need a double-lung transplant to keep living. I have Cystic Fibrosis , which was diagnosed when I was 4 months old and I don’t have medical insurance. Although I have had this illness all my life, it has gotten progressively worse and has now affected my lungs which are deteriorating and becoming weaker and weaker everyday.

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Kathleen KearnsA self-employed graphic designer and single mother, Kathleen supports the work that Illinois for Health Care is doing for small businesses owners. One of the proposed solutions for small businesses – Healthy Illinois – would establish a public-private partnership that would develop a voluntary, affordable statewide health insurance plan. Kathleen supports the plan because “it’s a feasible solution for a small business person to get access to health insurance.”

Kathleen’s monthly health care premiums only cover catastrophic events. She must pay out of pocket for regular doctor’s visits and other preventative care. She worries about how she will pay for the operation that her teenage daughter needs to have later this year, since her insurance will only cover a portion of it.

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