Bill will hurt more than it will help

As someone who is self-employed and purchases individual health insurance, I was excited about the possibility of real health care reform. Instead I have witnessed a process in which anything that would result in fundamental change has been systematically shut out.

This began with an economical and efficient single payer system being excluded from the debate, continued with the denial of a public option, a denial of Medicare buy-in, and a denial of prescription drug re-importation.

Rather than providing health care to 30 million new people, this bill will force 30 million people to buy insurance, subsidized or not, at inflated medical corporation rates, with no effective competitive alternative.

It is quite likely that the result will be 30 million people with insurance they cannot afford to use due to high premiums, high deductible, co-pays etc. In other words, 30 million people will have defective health insurance instead of affordable and reliable health care.

The bill we need passed would offer Medicare to any American citizen who wants to buy into it. It's not too late to do the right thing, but if the lies and deceptions from the White House and Congress continue, it soon will be.

Carla Eisenberg

Hanover Park