Ted Long asked in his letter (Health care proposal is all about control, Sept. 7), "what would you call small groups of people who would decide if you could have health care, how much you could have, and when you could have it?" Answer: health insurance companies.

Many insurance cards have a number to call for pre-approval before admission to a hospital. Just because your insurance hasn't said "no" yet doesn't mean that they can't at some later time.

Ever heard the words "out-of network"? It's as good as "no," depending on your financial situation.

Your insurance company may only cover certain medications. Depending on the price of the medication out-of-pocket, that could be the same as dictating what medication you will take, even though your doctor knows of a better medication.

I have encountered families whose children were denied medical coverage because of exclusions for congenital disorders or genetic disorders or because they had already reached the financial caps in the insurance policy.

Even though there were no "panels," the exclusions written into the health insurance policies effectively made the decisions, not the doctors.

In some cases, it was a government program that picked up payment, including surgeries, for the children.

Our control over our health care was limited even before this latest discussion of health care reform. If you want total control of your health care: stay healthy.

Jane Vogel

Bloomington