Charleston, SC - President Barack Obama (web | news | bio) is urging Americans to come up with ideas to fix the ailing healthcare system. People met in cities across the country today to brainstorm on how to make health insurance more affordable.

The stories are familiar, but none of them are the same. People with no insurance or not enough insurance who are struggling to make ends meet

Soren Smelz-Taylor is no stranger to battling insurance companies.

“I had spine surgery,” Smelz-Taylor began. “I am now suffering because of something that is not my fault. In order for them to fix it I had to go into severe debt.”

Added to that, Smelz-Taylor’s insurance premium spiked 25 percent. He had to put his children on Medicaid.

“It is an albatross because there is always the fact that we owe all this money,” he added.

The goal of this project is to get people talking and thinking about how they can remedy the problem in their own neighborhoods.

“We need to bring awareness to the idea of reducing healthcare costs, providing choice for people and improving the quality of healthcare for all citizens,” Lynn Meffert, the event’s organizer said. “It brings attention to the legislature that they need to take action. This cannot be something that is set aside for another day or another year or another ten years.

Event organizers around the country are planning a national healthcare day on June 27.

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