The failed 1993 health care reform plan is being shocked back to life with a defibrillator.

Hillary Clinton recently released her $110 billion health care plan requiring every U.S. citizen to purchase health insurance. The long and short of this plan is socialized health care, as the government would collectively own and control the means of distribution for the insurance.

While this plan might appeal to ignorant individuals who believe the government should give all individuals equal health care, the fact of the matter is this plan would actually be quite unfair.

Smokers will pay the same for their insurance plan as non-smokers. Obese individuals will pay the same as those who are in shape. Alcoholics' plans will cost the same as everyone else's.

It is also "appealing" because it makes sense everyone should be required to have health insurance, doesn't it? Nearly 46 million Americans are without health insurance, a notion Michael Moore touted in his summer should-have-been-made-for-TV movie, "Sicko."

There is no question the statistic is disturbing at first glance. But at second and third glance, it is not quite as scary. Linda Chavez, chair of the Center for Equal Opportunity, said the figure taken from Census data published in 2005 is a bit misleading. She believes the reasons why so many are uninsured are because individuals are young, healthy and choose not to buy health insurance. Several surveyed are simply between jobs and decide not to pay the premiums for continued coverage.

"More than 17 million of those counted as uninsured earn more than $50,000 a year, including 9 million who make over $75,000," says Chavez. "Nearly half of the 46 million uninsured remain so for only a brief time, on average four months."

The fact of the matter is the statistic of 46 million uninsured is not quite the travesty so many leftists make it out to be.

Chavez went on to say, " ... when the numbers are dissected, the health care 'crisis' comes down to, according to some estimates, fewer than 10 million Americans who lack long-term access to ... coverage."

By looking at these figures, because of less than 10 million individuals, Hillary Clinton - and many other socialists - want to change the way everyone else receives health care.

Gregg Jackson, nationally acclaimed author and talk-radio host, says, "We will lose this country," in regards to the creation of a socialist health care system.

Let's not forget about the minor detail of Clinton's plan, the $110 billion sticker price.

This hefty price tag would undoubtedly raise taxes, something so many leftists claim to be against. Because of this, Jackson says, "We'll all be slaves of the state."

Is the United States' health care system perfect? Of course not.

After all, it is already quasi-socialized. A full-blown socialized institution is not the right answer. Unfortunately, many uninformed citizens believe it is.

Chuck Armstrong is a senior in electronic media production. Please send comments to opinion@spub.ksu.edu.