Medicare shows good government can do

Republicans yell: Keep government out of health care! A free market is best! Yeah, right. We as individuals cannot rein in insurance and pharmaceutical costs, so the federal government must step in to help. Americans need a strong health care reform bill that includes the public option. It will lower health care costs.

Medicare, a federal health care program, is not perfect (and that needs attention) but it mostly works. For example, a friend of mine spent 27 days in the hospital. She is fortunate to have Medicare. Her hospital bill was $452,000. Medicare allowed and paid $45,000, and the hospital accepted this as payment in full. If she did not have Medicare, she would have owed the hospital a half-million dollars. Situations like that are the No. 1 reason for bankruptcy filings in the United States. Those who are against having the public option in health care reform, think again.

Jerry Barnsted

North Liberty