Despite years of post-secondary education and two higher education degrees, I find myself among the growing number of young Americans who cannot afford the cost of health care. Although my company (I am a teacher for a private institution) offers me health insurance, the cost of the premium for my wife and me is over one-third of my salary. My case is not an exception, however. In fact, middle-class Americans who earn too much to qualify for Medicare but don?t make enough to pay off medical debts are becoming more of the rule than the exception these days.

About a month ago, my wife had to go to the emergency room with stomach pains. She stayed there for roughly eight hours. The total cost of her stay and examinations was $16,000. We were mortified when we received the bill. Luckily, we had obtained health coverage for my wife through her community college three months before the incident, but even with health insurance, the out-of-pocket expenses are devastating. This experience saddens me even deeper when I compare it to my experiences in other countries. When I lived in Argentina, I received treatment at an emergency room on two separate occasions. Both times I was treated promptly without any insurance for the cost of a cup of coffee. Most Americans would consider Argentina a ?Third World? country, but they at least provide some form of low-cost medical care to any person who goes to a hospital, regardless of their wealth, nationality or race.

These injustices have motivated me to fight for change. The current paradigm of health care and rising costs no longer works. What good is our advanced technology and highly trained professionals if nobody except the very wealthy can afford them? All Americans, including those with adequate health coverage, need to stand up to the injustices of a greedy health care system that embarrasses America in the eyes of other developed nations worldwide. I firmly believe that every American wants everyone in this country to have adequate and affordable health care. The only opponents to change are the corporations that profit from inequalities and inflated medical costs. We must make an effort to fix this system for the health and financial security of future generations. This burden is too great for even our worst enemies, let alone our own children. If you feel like I do, take the time to voice your concern to your local media and elected officials. The time to change is now.