Letter: Health-care system must be affordable

Dear Editor:

I write this to you as a health-care advocate. I have no party distinction. I was a casualty of the current health-care crisis.

American families cannot afford to wait any longer. The crushing health-care costs have made it impossible to strengthen our economy and with businesses and families struggling to make ends meet. Escalating costs are leading us toward exploding deficits, weaker benefits and millions of people losing their coverage.

If Congress fails to act now, your health costs will double over the next decade and millions more people will lose their insurance, and bankruptcy looms for state budgets.

Health care must be affordable. Americans shouldn’t have to pay more for health care than members of Congress pay for their own coverage. I believe that Americans must be guaranteed coverage they can afford. Reform would be meaningless if working people can’t afford to purchase coverage or can’t afford to get the health care they need once covered.

Patricia DeJong

Libby