The United States pays more for health care than any other industrialized nation and gets less for its money.

We are ranked 37th by the World Health Organization. Other countries have a longer life expectancy and lower infant mortality rate.

The insurance companies continue to deny, delay and dismiss our claims. We have been made to choose from a list of their approved doctors for years.

We need health care reform in the worst way, yet while giving lip service to reform, Republicans have been protecting the insurance companies, presenting bogus arguments. They cite health studies by Lewin Group claiming it is an independent, non-partisan think tank when it is really owned by a health insurance company. Do they not see a conflict of interest?

Former Republican house majority leader, Dick Armey, has orchestrated ambushes at town meetings to intimidate fair discussions on health care reform. Legitimate questioners are shouted down by hooligans trying to disrupt meetings. They do not want the fact but want only to politicize the issue.

We need a government-run, single-payer system that will hold the powerful insurance companies feet to the fire. Medicare is a single-payer system run by the government. It works well and people like it.

Compared to the private for-profit companies who only care about the bottom line, I'll take a government run option anytime.

Leslie Wilson

Bloomington