Washington, DC—After receiving nearly 150 responses to his requests for South Dakotans to submit their health care stories, U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today has featured responses from across the state on his website. Johnson has also sent all the responses to leaders in Washington, including colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee.

“I have always thought it was important that those inside the beltway, leaders here in Washington, listen to folks back home,” said Johnson. “Nearly 150 South Dakotans have contacted my office in the last month and made it clear that we must fix what’s broken while keeping what works.”

Johnson is continuing to encourage people to tell him their experiences as Congress begins drafting health care legislation in the weeks ahead. Hard working parents, doctors in the field, and others fighting to keep their health care have all made clear the struggles they are facing.

Lindsey in Clark, SD told the Senator that she is “out of money before I am out of month;” Jennifer in Cavour, SD wrote that “I also live in constant fear of losing my health insurance should I be laid off or lose my job;” Rhonda in Madison, SD told Johnson that “most of us avoid going to the doctor because we have already spent $800 or more a month for insurance and can't afford to pay the doctor bill.” 

Johnson has also heard from South Dakota doctors, like Brian Smith in Rapid City, who told him that “we currently have universal coverage, but neither effective, nor efficient coverage. Secondly, the bureaucratic, non-health related overhead is skimming an excessive amount of healthcare dollars from a faltering system.”

“This process had made clear that we must pay close attention to the struggles not only of the uninsured, but also the underinsured, who are working day and night to keep care that they can barely afford,” Johnson continued. “I have shared all of the responses with leaders in Washington, and urge people to continue to submit their stories.”

To read stories from across the state or share your own story, please go to http://johnson.senate.gov/.

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For more information on Senator Tim Johnson visit his website at http://johnson.senate.gov.  To contact Senator Johnson’s communications office via e-mail, write his Communications Director at Julianne_Fisher@Johnson.Senate.gov

or his Deputy Communications Director  at Jeff_Gohringer@Johnson.Senate.gov