Health debate needs rational discussion

Regarding the health care debate, here are some items that should be considered:

1. One of the main reasons for health care reform is that U.S. businesses must compete with businesses abroad that do not have the expense of providing health insurance to their employees. This hurts U.S. companies and has been lost in the current debate.

2. Current private insurance plans also limit access to doctors, certain drugs and certain procedures. This is inevitable because they are looking for the most cost-efficient treatments to provide them with the most profits. When you deal with them, you also deal with a bureaucracy.

3. Besides needing to worry about the uninsured, many people are underinsured. Their insurance will cover catastrophic illnesses, but they must pay out-of-pocket for regular doctor visits, tests (mammograms, etc.). These costs have become so high that many are forgoing them until they get really sick.

The U.S. health care "system" needs change. Instead of focusing on a sentence here or there and blowing it all out of proportion, rational, reasonable discussion and compromise are required.

Linda Dickey

Lombard