No one (employers, individuals, government) can plunk down enough dough to make this problem go away. However, I know of one “simple” solution.

This solution has worked for the Amish for generations. And it works for them in any situation for which the rest of us believe we require insurance.

Besides the Amish people living humbly to honor God, they promote good health by eating naturally, working physically and avoiding many stresses of modern life. Plus, they help each other in times of need.

The Amish are not forbidden by their faith to seek medical treatment. Whenever an Amish person becomes ill and welcomes modern medicine, the family pays the cost. Whatever the family cannot afford will be provided by the rest of the community.

The result? The family’s medical bills are paid. And not one penny was wasted on years of health insurance premiums.

Can we learn anything from the Amish propping up the less fortunate among them? How about we all band together to say, “You want to raise our health insurance rates through the roof annually? Tell you what: we all quit. You get nada. Stick that in your premium pipe and smoke it.”

Put another way, can we as a nation that’s had enough come together to scare the profit margin and rate increase-happy health insurers? From now on, we help ourselves by helping each other. That’s what it’s all about anyway.