Health care has reached the crisis point in our country. Rising insurance costs are placing untenable burdens on workers and employers alike. Millions of Americans can't afford any health insurance.

Poor Americans receive Medicaid, but too many experience inferior medical care. Also, lots of health care providers and doctors don't want to accept Medicaid payments, which attempts to place limits on medical charges.

Retired Americans depend upon Medicare to meet medical needs, but there are serious gaps and limitations in the coverage. Retired citizens who are middle class can not afford to pay for long term care services available in nursing care homes or residential care facilities.

Many of our hospitals are poorly run, have high mortality and infection rates, and are in fact terrible places in which to die. The quality of our health care in this nation seems to be totally dependent on one's ability to pay.

But prescription costs, doctor visits, mental health services, and surgical care are starting to place a huge financial burden on all of us.

The rich are well cared for, the middle class experiences inconsistent care, and the poor have mostly inadequate care-based upon what they get in our emergency rooms.

Unfortunately, too many doctors and hospitals have become so busy that human emotions, compassion, and sensitivity have become lost in the shuffle.

Too often, pills, computers, and specialized machines have become substitutes for the health care professional's time and attitude of tender loving care. It is time that we do something positive to reform are whole health care system.

Now that we have been honest and open about the problem, let's go to the next steps on The Emotional Recovery Card. (EMC is my unique life coaching approach to personal and social change.)

Stop and Think:

Let's stop approaching health care from the point of view of one's ability to pay or as some simple commodity at the whims of our market economy. Health care should become a basic human right. So, let's stop and think more about that.