Hopefully, officials in Washington are now willing to work on the health care crisis after hearing public pleas of high costs and the rising number of uninsured. Families fortunate enough to have insurance are seeing their deductibles rising, some by several thousands of dollars. Businesses are struggling to insure employees what with yearly double-digit insurance premium increases.

It is crucial for elected federal officials to understand that the nation’s health care system has to change; a new direction is necessary.

With a public option, people would have an alternative for quality affordable care, while allowing people who are happy with their present plan to continue with their current doctor. Public health insurance plans can promote competition and improvement, increasing the number of insured and lowering the cost to everyone. If the public health insurance option is lost, the public could lose the battle on surging costs.

The nation can’t afford to continue on the same path of skyrocketing health care costs.

Diane Poirier, Lewiston

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