The more things change, they more they remain the same. Does that sound a bit confusing?

Just when you thought you had the health care system all figured out and things were working pretty well for you, something abruptly changed and you had to start all over again. Well just think about that for a second. It's not much of a surprise that this happens, is it? Look at the shape the US health care system is in and it will likely give you pause for serious thought.

Why is the US health care system in such a mess? It mostly has to due with the fact that it is run by a conglomerate of separate business entities – insurance companies – that don't really speak to one another. While they may exchange words now and then, communication for the betterment of their clients – as in you – doesn't seem to be a priority for them.

The recent election may have made some differences in the system, but they won't be evident for many years to come. Right now mention the word health care at a cocktail party and be prepared for some very polarized opinions to surface. It's hard to ignore the fact that what we have in terms of health care is really over used; abused, in fact, would be the word that most often comes to mind.

Americans abuse the health care system by using it as a band-aid for things likes colds and flu, when it was initially intended to be for life's major medical events like heart attacks, broken legs and other serious trauma. Many emergency rooms are filled with patients who would best be taken care of in a doctor's office. Sad but true, our health care system is way over-priced and in dire need of a major overhaul.

This directly affects all Americans because you are the ones who ultimately pay the freight to keep the health care system running. So when prices start creeping up without any caps in sight, what you pay out of your pocket also goes up. These rising costs mean many people are not able to use the health care system.

Where does reform begin? It starts with cleaning up the economy. This will take some doing and it won't happen overnight either. Perhaps with the advent of a new administration in Washington things may slowly begin to change.