There seems to be much talk about Barack Obama’s government plan for a health care reform. What has caught my attention are actually two, obviously, Republican TV ads I’ve seen on CNN.

One talks about taxes on things like soda and juices; it claims that America doesn’t need government health care, and that people should just try to have a healthier lifestyle. After all, sodas are good for your health and they make you happy, so why tax them?

The other commercial portrays a supposedly Canadian woman saying that she had to come to the U.S. to get treated for a brain tumor. Otherwise she would’ve died at the mercy of the Canadian government because the health care system is not good up there.

Here’s what I think about it all, and it’s my biased opinion, of course. I come from countries where I’ve had both private and government health care plans; and I believe that while people should have the right to choose because they can afford it, there also should be a chance for EVERYBODY to have access to health services. That’s when governments, like it or not, play an important role.

State health care in Colombia is very far from being perfect; in fact it can drive you completely crazy at times, but in some ways it guarantees that every Colombian gets treatment when needed, without having to worry about a humongous hospital bill. Bureaucracy is the daily bread, but that’s story for another day. The point is, there is health care for everyone.

On the other hand, for those of us who are blessed, there is also the opportunity to have private health insurance that allows us to choose where we want to go and who we want to see. Pre-Paid Medicine organizations (as they’re called) give you a complete list of professionals in different areas, and you just pick like from a menu in a restaurant. Co-pays work the same as here in the U.S., and services are a little bit faster, but there’s still the same bureaucracy. Problem is, not everybody can afford it.

Then there’s Canada, with its government health care, that we both love and hate like everything else in this world. We may pay upfront in taxes, but that means that when there’s a hospital visit, a diagnostic exam or a doctor consultation, we don’t have to open our wallet. We also get good prices in medications. However, good luck finding a specialist without a referral, and arm yourself with patience when it comes to certain procedures. But it really isn’t THAT bad. I choose to believe that patients who need prompt care do get it. I did.

During the 7 years I lived in Canada, I always had access to doctors, hospitals, exams, labs. And my health was well taken care of even if the system was a little bit slow. But when I understood that nothing in life is perfect, I knew I was lucky to be in a country where I could have health insurance and it didn’t matter if I had a job or not, if I had the money or not. Tax money worked. Canadians love to complain about health care sometimes, but let’s face it… we like it like that.

So now I see people flipping out because the Obama administration wants to offer health care for everyone. God forbid the poor have access to good hospitals! OK. I’m probably exaggerating a tad here. But telling me that we don’t need government health care but a healthier life style? That drinking cheap soda is going to help matters when it comes to fair treatment for every patient in America? You’ve gotta be kidding me. We can definitely improve our quality of life, but avoiding tax in soda wouldn’t make any difference.

And yes, I would LOVE to keep my private insurance because I’m blessed enough to be able to afford it. But I also would like to see a health care system where people don’t need to beg for Medicare and Medicaid to cover their most basic needs sometimes. I would like people to be treated equally when they are sick, regardless of their social status or income. After all, doesn’t the constitution say that life is an unalienable right? Let’s start making sure everyone gets to keep theirs going.