To the editor:

With the recent release of Michael Moore’s “Sicko” into theaters, a good thing is happening: People are discussing health care reform. Regardless of anyone’s opinion on Moore or his film, there are facts pertaining to the health care situation in our country which are undeniable: Over 45 million Americans are not covered, 2005 data showed that Americans spent over $2 trillion on medical care, and measurable means of health care status, such as the infant mortality rate, indicate that our free-market system is doing a remarkably poor job at offering us the best options for health care.

The cost of our system is absurd. I presently pay nearly 30 percent of my gross income on taxes and medical insurance costs, not counting out-of-pocket costs for office visits or hospitalization. My coverage is very good, but I still have a large amount of costs if I wish to visit a doctor or get a prescription. I cannot imagine how someone with a family to provide for can expect to pay 30 percent of their income, not to mention taking care of those other necessities.

H.R. 676 is a bill before Congress proposing for a Universal Health Care System. An estimated 31 percent of all medical spending is wasted on paperwork and bureaucracy, according to Physicians for a National Health Care Program. Read more about it at www.pnhp.org, and let’s make this a reality for all Americans.

Eric Rosa,

Lawrence