This is to all the people out there who argue that they have insurance and think they don’t have to worry about anything and that the government needs to stay out of their business. My husband and I are in are 40s and live in Bonney Lake. We eat right and try to live a healthy lifestyle. We have a good income and until recently we had insurance. My husband works for a small business that decided to cancel all health insurance policies. Now we are facing the outrageous cost of a needed drug. My husband suffers from RA. He is on drug that costs $1,893.98 a month without insurance to negotiate lower pricing and pay for part of the cost. There is no generic brand and without this drug, RA flare-ups are not controlled when they occur, day-to-day activities like walking up and down stairs difficult and painful.

We are willing to purchase our own insurance but no insurance company will sell us a policy. So we face a horrible choice; purchase the drug needed until our savings run out. Or the more likely option, my husband will have to stop taking the drug and live with the pain and eventual joint destruction that the condition will cause. So I ask all of you; do you not think that this could happen to you or a loved one? Before you say “oh my company will not drop coverage” or start screaming about potential take hikes and “being taxed enough already” and “government takeover of heath care” think about what you are screaming to protect.

This wonderful system we have provides:

No value. We pay more than any other country and we are 37th best in the world. We have the Yugo of health systems.

There are no regulations that require companies to provide insurance. So you may have it today and lose it tomorrow.

No regulations that prevent insurance companies from dropping you. Your company may offer a program, but the insurance company can kick you to the curb.

No competitive marketplace or if you have a pre-existing condition, no marketplace at all to purchase insurance. So even if you could afford a policy, no company will sell you a policy.

No government program that you can buy into like Medicare or a similar program.

No health coverage means no preventive care. If you are lucky, Remote Area Medical will come to town and if you are really lucky, you may be one of the few that receive treatment.

No end in sight to the rising costs. In a few years it will cost double what it does now.

No one is asking for a free lunch. We are willing to pay our fair share; we just don’t have that option. We need reform today because there is no tomorrow.

Donia J. Townsend

Bonney Lake