Like most concerned citizens I seek to understand the implications of proposed health care reform.  I think most of us agree that health care is indeed expensive and too many of our fellow citizens don’t have insurance coverage or access to quality care. It would be great if we could make things better for more people.

I recently discovered that a medical prescription that cost me $60 with insurance would have cost me three times as much without it. The mere thought of not having insurance is sobering. Millions of people deal with that scenario every day. Call me a wimp, but I feel for them. 

Health care is serious, especially when you can’t get it. Reform is necessary and that means something has to change. As they say, “Therein lies the rub.” Generally, people just don’t like change, particularly when all is well in their own little world. Change is only good when we are essentially unaffected by it. Unfortunately, real change is not without inconvenience. 

The current system, with its huge profits to health insurance companies and medical corporations, reminds me of one of my all time favorite movies, “Gone with the Wind.” Had I been Miss Scarlet, I would have opposed changing the status quo, too. Like Scarlett, some of us have it pretty darn good, but too many of us don’t. The masses will never be content with that.

Based on my general understanding, the proposed health care reform does some pretty good things. Among them are retention of private insurance, expanded coverage, subsidies for the uninsured and prohibition of refusal of coverage of pre-existing conditions. It sounds good, which means it can’t be that simple. It has to be complicated, right? 

Justifiably, there are many legitimate concerns about health care reform, including matters of credibility.  Who should we believe: proponents or opponents, arguments or the counter-arguments?

If you have access to health care and insurance coverage, you might want a few things to change, but not too much. If you don’t have it, you probably want whatever changes are necessary to improve your situation. Those who support reform are likely to believe what the president says about it. Those who don’t can’t be convinced by this president that water is wet.   

I’m puzzled about the fear of a public option. I thought we thrive on competition in this country. If Americans don’t like the public option, they won’t choose it. So, what’s the big deal? In the spirit of competition, may the best service provider win.

As we continue to balk at health care reform, I believe the escalating costs will eventually consume most of us.  Soon, life as we know it will be “gone with the wind.” I’m afraid that it is only when more of us find ourselves in the ranks of the uninsured that we will be ready to wrestle this monster. In the meantime, we can process as much information as we can and pray for wisdom of our leaders to make sound decisions.

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Debra Anderson is a former Vicksburg resident who lives and works in Jackson.