Some will sacrifice for the uninsured

I have not read the proposed bills on health-care reform yet, so I do not have an opinion one way or the other on the proposals. However, I do have concerns as it relates to arguments of others reported by The Herald recently.

One argument is that people do not want the government dictating their health care. I don’t see the validity of that argument when we already allow private insurance companies to tell us who we can see, how often we can obtain care, and whether or not that care is the right kind of care for us rather than our doctors helping us make those decisions.

The other argument is that people do not want to give up anything they have. I am very concerned about the great number of people, young and old, that are unable to obtain any care that they need because they don’t have insurance or cannot afford the care. This places a huge burden on taxpayers, because eventually we do pay for it; whether it is rehabilitation efforts for those who have been adversely affected by their own lack of health care or inadequate medical treatment for those who are to be raising them or through bankrupt citizens who have incurred more medical expenses than they can afford.

I believe that health-care reform is going to require sacrifice. I do have excellent private insurance coverage, but I am willing to make a sacrifice if it means that more of my fellow citizens can obtain the medical treatment they need to be healthy.

Lisa Keck

Everett