Illustration by Ken Orvidas/the ispot

In life we can try or we can do nothing. Every day we are faced with challenges, and it is up to us to meet them. Whether it is working, raising a family or retiring, as Americans we overcome hurdles day in and day out. Right now, we are facing a challenge—a crisis, really—bigger than any we have faced in decades: the crisis of health care.This isn’t meant as a scare tactic; this is the stark reality. And this isn’t just a crisis for the 46.7 million people who don’t have health insurance; it’s a crisis that affects our entire economy, and affects each of us.

For example, every American with health insurance pays an extra $1,100 a year on their premiums to cover those who can’t get health insurance because of the broken health care system. That’s basically a hidden tax of $1,100. That is a lot of money. For some it could mean the difference between affording food or affording medicine, of taking a trip to see grandchildren or not, or enjoying a weekend getaway.

For others the health care crisis costs more. Much more. Every 30 seconds someone files for bankruptcy because of a medical emergency. That is just not right. And that is why we must reform our health care system.

Now, when I am home or in Washington, a lot of people, including AARP members, come up to me and say, “Max, I like my current health coverage plan.” To these people I say, Great! If you like what you have, you should keep it, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a stake in health care reform.

In the last eight years, health care costs have risen about five times faster than wages. If we don’t do something, in the next eight years the average American family will spend half their income paying for health care. I think it’s great that people like their current health care. They should keep what they have, but I can’t imagine anyone would object to lower costs. That’s a no-brainer.

So how do we reform the system?

We must make sure that everyone has access to health care, including folks with preexisting health conditions. We also must make health care more affordable. There are a number of ways to do this. One option is providing tax credits to help small businesses afford coverage. Small businesses drive our economy, and I want to make sure they can provide quality coverage for their employees.

Finally, we want to improve Medicare. Medicare is a lifeline for millions of seniors. But we must get a handle on cost. Again, I want to assure people that if they like what they have for coverage, they can keep it. The only thing that will change is lower costs and higher quality, and that is a pretty good deal.

But reform won’t be easy. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I’ve been working on this for more than a year, holding hearings and meeting with literally thousands of people from my home state of Montana and across the nation. We hope that by summer, we will have legislation ready for the Finance Committee to consider.

In life we can try—or do nothing. Health care in America is in crisis, and we can either try to reform it or not. I choose to try, and I hope all of you will join me. 

Max Baucus is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.