As a family physician over the past 30 years I have seen the consequences of insurance delayed care, denied care, more frequent hospital admissions and deaths of the uninsured, and more illness related bankrupties than I care to remember. For many of our citizens the quality of care is unsurpassed, but currently 50 million citizens are uninsured with huge difficulties in accessing medical care.

Voters! Look carefully at what Senator Bennett and Mr. Buck prescribe for you health care:

Senator Bennett supports health care reform which should insure an additional 826,000 Coloradans, provide 574,000 seniors with preventive services without deductibles, and help 68,000 Colorado small businesses with a tax credit. Patients can no longer be denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions, or have their insurance cancelled when they become sick.

Mr. Buck’s plan is to defund and repeal the health care reform bill. He believes the federal government should encourage individual to buy high deductible plans and open health savings accounts. These band-aids have been available for years and do not address the issue of those citizens who can afford neither.

The current insurance industry has had every opportunity over the past 60 years to insure all our citizens, but has failed to do so.

The choice is clear between continuing to move health care forward with Senator Bennett or returning to the same failed policies of the past with Mr. Buck.

Scott Johnson, M.D.
Loveland, Colorado