Families are already struggling to pay for their health insurance, and rising costs coupled with increasing unemployment has only made it more difficult for families to stay afloat. At his White House summit on health care reform, President Obama warned that "the cost of health care now causes a bankruptcy in America every 30 seconds."

According to the Wall Street Journal, families with high medical bills, such as Chris and Vickie Cox and their three children, rely on a "safety net" of charitable contributions from communities, churches, and family members. In the current recession, these safety nets are unraveling.

The Cox children, Samuel, 7, Grace, 12, and Jake, 15, are all afflicted with a genetic disorder known as Shwachman Diamond Syndrome. The disorder prevents the production of bacteria-fighting blood cells and the absorption of nutrients and can lead to deadly infections or leukemia if untreated. Chris Cox gave up his goal of running his own business in order to secure a job where he would have adequate health care coverage for his family.

Despite the fact that they are covered on their father's plan, the Cox children are often required to see out-of-network specialists or seek experimental treatment for their chronic condition. Out-of-network care means they must pay 30 percent of their bill out of pocket; insurers often won't cover experimental treatments.

In previous years, friends and neighbors have helped the Coxes through fundraisers and charitable contributions, but more recently, layoffs and rising health care costs have dramatically decreased the amount that people are able to give. Monthly donations from the Cox family's church dropped by 80 percent over the past year. The Sprint Nextel Corp., which employs many people in their home town in Kansas, plans to lay off 2,000 employees, while Vickie Cox's'  brother-in-law has had to let go of four of his six employees at his building contracting firm. With $40,000 in unpaid medical bills, the Coxes are considering moving out of their home and into a trailer to save money.

Stories like theirs are not uncommon. Families dealing with the heartbreak of sick children should not be overwhelmed by medical bills. We need a stable, dependable system of health care coverage and delivery. Sick children — or for that matter sick adults— should not have to depend on the kindness of strangers.