No easy solutions to health care crisis

My daughter turned 21 on Valentine's Day. She is running her own successful business and becoming an independent, responsible adult.

Last week, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield informed her that her health insurance premium would be going up by 34 percent.

I haven't given much attention to all the squawking about health care reform until now, as this is hitting home.

My husband and I have been fortunate. Except for a short period between jobs, every position he has held has offered health care coverage to our family.

Iowa mandates that dependent children may remain on their family's health insurance plan until age 25. My husband's employer is in Minnesota and is self insured, and does do not have to honor the age 25 rule. That leaves our daughter with these options:

1. Purchase an alternate health care policy with less coverage, a higher deductible and a co-pay.

2. Drop her health care coverage altogether.

3. Quickly find a man who has a job with insurance benefits and marry him.

4. Suck it up and pay the new premium.

Which do you think she will choose?

I have no answers to solve the health care crisis. All I know is that continuing to force people away from health care coverage is going to bankrupt everyone involved, as well as the insurance companies, because if they continue to force people out, there will be only a few left to pay the premiums.

Angie Flaucher

Independence