The health care debate rages on, even though the most conservative members of Congress acknowledge that the nation’s health care system is broken and must be changed. Nevertheless, their intransigence continues as they only look to defeat President Barack Obama and ignore the sufferings of their constituents.

A public option, similar to Medicare and stringent regulation of the insurance industry, an entity that is only beholden to profit and its shareholders, is critical to any meaningful reform.

I urge the public to support regulation and a strong public option. The bloated, inefficient, inequitable system must be changed. Health care must be acknowledged as a fundamental right of the people and not a commodity to be purchased by those who can afford it.

“If not now, when?”

Stephen A. Sokol, M.D., Lewiston

Gerda Neu-Sokol, Lewiston