What if it were APPLES?

A Guest Column by Ms. A. W.
Health Care Activist

For argument’s sake, replace the words “insurance” or “health care” with something more generic, such as “apples,” and see if our representatives’ viewpoints make sense.

In the United States, one of the most developed countries in the world, many people go without apples. People need apples to stay healthy and prosper, and to support their families. The better apples someone has, the more likely they are to stay healthy and be productive.

If you are old enough or poor enough, the government provides you with apples. If not, private companies sell apples to people who are healthy enough and can afford apples. More than 50 percent of all personal bankruptcies are due to the cost of apples. Some apples cost about $500 per person per month! In Florida, more than 3.6 million people, including 800,000 children, go apple-less.

There is a proposal that would allow the government to distribute apples to the general public. This “public option” would open up the apple market to all individuals and lower apple prices while increasing the size of the apple market. Experts say this plan would pay for itself and not cost most taxpayers any more than they pay now to help out the people who can’t get apples.
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