Over the past five years, I have had the challenge of looking for health insurance. While working full-time for a company, the health care provider canceled the policy because there were too few participants over too large a geographical area, rendering the plan unprofitable. I enrolled in a private plan while I changed employers. After three months, I joined that company’s health plan.

The same health care company provided all three plans. The private plan that I was compelled to buy cost twice as much as the company plans, even though the deductible was much higher. I have learned that the health insurance industry’s first priority is profit, not my well-being.

Rates continue to rise to maintain profits while the number of Americans covered continues to decrease. Eventually, this vicious circle will end with the collapse of Health Street similar to the Wall Street fall. The public option will keep the health insurance industry earning a reasonable profit.

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe has not endorsed the public option. She has received generous support from the health care industry over the course of her government service. I respect her, have voted for her, written letters to the editor in support of her. But I find it hard to justify her position when her constituents are overwhelmingly in favor of the public option by a factor of better than two to one. I hope she re-evaluates her position.

Without the public option, there is no health care reform.

Ron Russell, Auburn