Elise Patkotak's recent article for the Anchorage Daily News takes a humorous slant on an otherwise frustrating truth - Americans need affordable health insurance that makes sense, and that will protect them when they need it.

In the article Patkotak criticizes the State of Alaska's retiree insurance, which is what legislators receive when they retire. One would think that these people get good coverage.

But then again, they might not. There's mention of colonoscopies that aren't covered unless you already show signs of colon cancer, mammograms that are no longer covered if a woman has to have her uterus removed, and even bone marrow testing that doesn't get coverage unless the match is a positive.

All of this speaks to two profound truths in this country: first, ours is a health care system devoted to the treatment of disease, not its prevention, and even then only if you can afford it.

And the other is this, that we need affordable health insurance that is both understandable, and comprehensive. What's the point of paying for it if it no one knows what it covers, and even then it doesn't cover everything you need?

Some "cafeteria-style" plans offer affordable health insurance that the consumer can select based on their needs and their wallet. However, there needs to be a lot more of those around before everyone can enjoy the kind of care they deserve.