Insurance is a sore subject for me... I am a professional nurse, yet also a member of the "can't afford family health insurance" group. And ironically, my employer is a hospital-associated pediatric group! (So much for advocacy by pediatricians or hospital administrators!) I was paying over $500 per month for family health insurance when I simply could no longer afford it - but of course, I was not available for Medicaid because my income exceeds the "welfare" guidelines. It was a serious struggle - and because of other circumstances, it finally became an impossible one. AFTER I lost my health insurance, my kids became eligible for the state's federally subsidized "basic" health insurance - at a mere $19 per month. Reason for eligibility? Because they were uninsured! And all uninsured kids are eligible! Gee, if I had known that, I would have given up the battle a lot sooner! I genuinely love my work - and I also like it where I work - but as you can see, being a health professional and an "insider" in pediatrics does not make the struggle any easier. It also does not provide greater advocacy for change. Our hospital publicly boasts that it is financially secure while other hospitals are struggling financially. Gee, I wonder why?!!! Judy T RN