For 22 years, I lived in Israel, where they have national health insurance. In 1994, my father-in-law suffered a stroke. He was in the hospital for one week. After that, he was transferred to a live-in rehab center for the next 2 1/2 months. The cost for all this care: $80. In the United States, he would have lost his home to get care like that. He came out a functional human being from his treatment.

This story explains why I am fully for health care reform in the United States. Health care cannot be a for-profit business and still give adequate care to the public.