Dear President-elect Obama, we need your help

My wife and I were having lunch with a new family friend today. She hadn't slept well last night as she was so concerned about a loved one.

Her loved one had a brain hemorrhage yesterday. You see, he was laid off from his very interesting job 8 months ago, and had lost his health insurance. Unfortunately, he could not find affordable health insurance, and had stopped seeing his doctor. He'd had a history of high blood pressure and a heart condition, which had previously been well controlled with medication. Without insurance, he could no longer afford the medication, but was at least treating himself with aspirin.

Last night, he was in the bathroom, and suddenly became dizzy. He was taken immediately to the hospital, where he was found to have a bleed in the brain, which required immediate surgery. The aspirin that he was taking led to worsened bleeding than would have normally occurred.

The prognosis is poor. More surgery is necessary to control swelling in the brain. If he survives, he will likely require a prolonged ICU stay, but may be left with brain damage, requiring years of therapy and care.

It is tragic and embarassing that something like this happens in the wealthiest nation in the world.

What's worse is that it was all preventable. Think of the costs of those blood pressure medications versus the costs of these surgeries, hospital care, and follow-up care.

Please, Mr. President-elect, act on this NOW. Thousands die every year due to our broken health care system.

To be successful, health care reform must address:
1. Improving access to care
2. Lowering costs of health care
3. Improving the quality of health care
4. Simplifying the health care system for everyone involved

It won't be easy, and it can't all be done at once. But it must all be done.

We're counting on you. If we have to, we will demand it of you.

Good luck, and Happy 2009!

BE HEALTHY