I was in my doctor's office yesterday for a totally unnecessary visit required by my work. We spent 15 minutes talking politics as we usually do and of course our talk centered around Obama's overhaul of health care. My doctor's opinion is that we can't continue on the road we're on. I have to agree.

I think that for too long insurance companies are the tail wagging the dog in all of this. Somehow take them out of the equation and we can possibly get somewhere.

I have a neighbor who works for a pharmaceutical company and he explained to me once how a great majority of a person's lifetime health care costs are incurred in the last few years of their lives. I think Ed touched on this. They're seldom easy decisions to forgo treatment which may buy a person a few more months of life. Should cost ever be a factor? Yeah, I actually think that it should in the overall scope of trying to provide for all.

My father-in-law's health is deteriorating rather quickly now to the point where he pretty much just sits in his wheelchair and stares at the wall. He's 81 but they've scheduled him for a CT scan. Is this necessary? I'm not qualified to say but I'm guessing that it's not.

I admire Obama for trying to do something about the current state of health care in America. Rather than sniping at him I'd like to see Republicans get on board and offer some constructive solutions other than only shrill descent.

Kevin g