We deserve choice in health care

There's plenty debate over whether America should move to "universal health care" or stay with the same system that has kept 1 in 6 Americans uninsured and millions more underinsured for the coverage they need. Some claim President Obama is pushing for some "socialist" version of health care. Well, if you were getting millions of dollars for lobbying on behalf of insurance companies or getting huge campaign contributions from that industry, you might want to paint the same false picture.

In reality, President Obama's plan lets people choose between keeping the for-profit insurance they already have, if they want it, or a public health care option like Medicare. A public option is the only way to guarantee health care for all Americans. Any legislation without it is just more of the same broken system. If President Obama's health care plan gets changed to exclude a public option like Medicare, then it is not health care reform. Americans deserve a choice!

Timothy Barnes

Elburn