Bring four people together at Anodyne Coffe, a comfortable place in Walker's Point near downtown Milwaukee to talk about healthcare and it doesn't take long for the conversation to take off.
Lynn Carey shared her story about having a double lung transplant. Kamar Carter spoke from the heart about being a small business owner and paying for healthcare. Peter Gilbert is on Medicare and spent a lifetime in the insurance business.
Ron Chmill is an insurance agent from the suburbs, a cancer survivor who had a heart attack earlier this year.
He's thankful to be alive and for his health insurance.
"So far, since January 1st my insurance company has paid $233,000 for me plus my $9,400 deductible," said Chmill. "Luckily, I had the health insurance."
The 61-year-old is on his wife's insurance and worries about his out-of-pocket costs when she retires, and as they wait to sign up for Medicare.
"I will have to budget for that, our premiums will be $1,800 a month and that's only for 18 months."
He knows the politicians will be talking about healthcare this election year.
"I don't know if anyone has the answer- they talk it about around the election time but after the election then it kind of stops."
Kamar Carter thinks about healthcare all the time. He owns a wellness business at Sherman Phoenix, a retail shop in Milwaukee.
"I wound up with my own business after that so now I'm at a point where I can pay for my insurance, but it is expensive," said Carter, a father of four. "I'm in agreeance with healthcare I feel like everybody needs healthcare."
He knows there are challenges, he sees it with his customers.
"A lot of people in my community are living check-to-check. If you lose a job everything is gone once you lose your job."
Carter wonders why Republicans and Democrats can't work it out to find better solutions.
"If you love people there is no way you can't sit down at the table - where everybody is happy."
Lynn Carey knows what it's like to be the healthcare provider and the patient.
"Healthcare has always been very important to me because of my career as a nurse. I'm a retired nurse," said Carey.
"I had a double lung transplant, and it will be nine years on May 13th," said Carey. It's a very expensive disease - as many diseases are."
She is a big supporter of the Affordable Care Act for many reasons - including its protection for people with pre-existing conditions.
She also appreciates President Biden's efforts to lower some prescription drugs cost for people on Medicare.
But she believes both sides need to come together to do more.
"How we can provide a healthcare system that will provide healthcare as a right, not as a privilege?" said Carey. "In terms of Medicare, I like the discussion about making it available earlier - I would like to see it available to everyone. I call it Medicare for all. I have had a really good experience."
Peter Gilbert spent a lifetime in the insurance business.
"I'm a big proponent of preventive healthcare."
The St. Francis retiree has stayed active on this issue and others. He made an unsuccessful run for the state Senate a couple of years ago.
Gilbert would like to see one big change.
"I would prefer instead of healthcare being tied to a job, because people maybe want to change jobs, or they lose their job," said Gilbert. "If everybody has their own individual policy and belongs to a group- where are groups could help keep the premium down. Being tied to a job is not very efficient."
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