To the editor:

Thank you for calling attention to the dramatic health insurance cost increases (Business, Friday). An interesting note in the article was that small businesses employing 5 million American workers have been forced to eliminate health insurance benefits due to double-digit premium increases every year since 2000.

While the insurance news is bleak, Kansans have options through a program that became available to us this summer. Dubbed HSA (health savings accounts), this program couples much lower premiums with better access to necessary prescription and over-the-counter medications and medical goods. Available to individuals, families and employers, these programs pair specially designed health insurance programs with individual control to make monthly premiums affordable.

However, many health insurance agents are not willing to learn the system, as commissions are much lower and there is a steep learning curve. My hope is that by providing an ethical and flexible set of alternatives, other agents will join me in shifting their focus to blessing the lives of individuals and families in Douglas County.

Julie Thornton,

Eudora