Many policy experts -- regardless of their politics -- People with pre-existing health

conditions find it difficult, costly – and sometimes impossible – to get health insurance. We
spend much more on health care than other industrialized nations, yet have poorer health
when judged by the number of preventable deaths and other measures.

Many experts agree that some change is needed. The question is: what type of change, and
how will it affect you?

As the health reform debate continues, and legislation is considered, here are five ways you
can begin to understand and get involved in health care reform.

It's not easy to get balanced information about the proposals for health care reform. Our
political parties are polarized and there's a staggering amount of jargon – universal
coverage, medical underwriting, community rating, public option, health care co-ops, and
so on.

Where do you begin? You can find some of the actual legislative proposals online, but they
can be a tough slog. Cassil recommends looking at the side-by-side comparisons of the
bills from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

"Remember that nothing is concrete yet," she says. That’s an important point: Any final bill
that goes to a vote and to the president for signature will likely look quite different from the
proposals circulating early in the legislative process.

In a more general way, understanding health care reform means working more closely with
your doctor and becoming a better-informed patient. Experts say that culturally, Americans
tend to like their doctors to do stuff. We like tests and medical interventions and surgeries.
While a vigilant, aggressive approach to medicine is good up to a point, it can get
expensive.