Judy Feder on why we need health reform

Why do we need health reform?

People in this county are hurting because families can't afford health care when they need it. We know that half the bankruptcies in the country are due, or related to, high medical care costs. And more than half of the people facing those bankruptcies already have health insurance. We've got to assure affordable health care for every American--both to make families secure about getting health care when they need it, and to make them economically secure, so that we can have a prosperous America again.

What would an improved health system look like?

I think we all know how frustrating the health care system is--how much duplication, and waste, and repetition there can be. What we need is a system in which everybody can count on getting care when they need it, having insurance that makes it affordable, and having it simple for them to get the kind of care they need. Doctors who are readily available when we need care, primary care, prevention, management of chronic illness. We need a system that is going to be simple, affordable, and will truly get us value for the dollar.

Who would benefit from an improved health system?

Everybody needs an improved health care system. Our health care system is broken. It's not working for any of us. People who have no health insurance, who now number in excess of 50 million people, need protection. But about half that many people are what we call underinsured, and all of us are at risk of losing our health insurance if we don't have a job. And not being able to afford what our health insurance will cover, even when we have a job. All of us will benefit from a reformed system, and we can't afford to wait. We have to do it now.