Why the delay on health care reform?

Why do we let the scare tactics win? A new federal study shows health care spending rose to $2.5 trillion in 2009. The cost of our family's health insurance rose 30 percent from last year. Why? Because we used it.

Health insurance is the biggest burden on those of us who are freelance, underemployed or unemployed. It feels like we're swimming with a 50 pound weight on our backs.

People who are against health care reform must have health insurance and figure that there is little chance of losing it. Think again. Employers are now making employees shoulder the cost of their coverage. Insurance companies like to promote "consumer-driven health care," which is code for "if the consumer pays more out of pocket, he will not be so wasteful about getting care he doesn't need."

Who does this? I don't go to the doctor unless I really need to. It's not my favorite place to be. Our insurance system is set up to cover only people who don't need it - does this make sense to anyone?

As for "keeping government out of health care," the government doesn't want to be in health care; but when there is an industry that is as wealthy and politically savvy as the insurance companies, the federal government may be the only entity that can force insurance companies to change.

I used to do work for various insurance companies and I've seen the extravagance and focus on profits. How would we feel if our doctors were like that?

This country has a history of resisting big changes and deciding after they are made that they were a great idea. This is one of those ideas.

Years from now we will all wonder, "What took us so long to get it right?"

Alison Hall

Arlington Heights