National health insurance, for some, is a dream come true.

Many baby boomers, for instance, are using the Affordable Care Act to find their way to early retirement.After federal subsidies for those who qualify, the monthly cost might be $100 to $300 a month, as opposed to $700 or more.It's making a difference for some workers in their late 50s and early 60s who want to retire early, the pre-Medicare years.Still, I think ACA provisions are too intrusive and far-reaching and hopefully will be toned down.I'm familiar with some of the challenges. I spent 20 years working for the world's largest health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield.When it comes to health insurance and medical expenses, the elephant in the room is cost.We all want affordable coverage. But when we get sick, or when a loved one gets sick, we want the best that money can buy. It's a dichotomy.I remember a push for affordable health care in Pennsylvania back in the late 1970s and early '80s.In fact, I was involved in publicity for the statewide campaign 35 years ago this month.I met Gov. Richard Thornburgh and was involved in promoting his ideas for cost-saving initiatives. He'd made health care a priority.Keep in mind, this was during the Three Mile Island nuclear crisis and so the topic of health care was at the fore.I'm not sure how much was accomplished, but we did generate awareness.Afterward, I went to Canada to attend a gathering in Toronto to learn more about their national health system.Health care in Canada is mostly free at the point of use, provided under the Canada Health Act of 1984.The government tries to assure quality of care through federal standards without sticking its nose in details.Hopefully, our system will do the same.But I'm not quite sure about that.And, of course, no system is perfect.The Canada Health Act doesn't cover prescription drugs, home care or long-term care, prescription glasses or dental care.Canadians typically pay out-of-pocket for those services or use private insurance.One of the big criticisms I heard in 1980 was the long wait for service.I'm not sure if that predicament is still an issue. But the inside joke was that pregnant women in Canada had to wait 10 months for a doctor appointment.It almost surprises me that health insurance is still a hot-button topic 35 years later.But if you think health care coverage is a big issue today, and it is, consider what it was like in 1980.Pennsylvanians were on edge over the threat of the nuclear meltdown at TMI.There were fears about exposure to radiation and a perceived long-term health impact.Hand-in-hand with those worries was skepticism over government statements that tried to calm nerves and reassure the public.I remember it as an especially tense time. I'd never want to return to those days.Today, the big worry is trying to find your way in the Affordable Care Act.We're now in the second open enrollment period and, hopefully, things are running more smoothly than last year.Here's hoping you and your family have found the answers you need in the health care maze.And I hope national health insurance overcomes its inherent woes and begins to fulfill the promise.It's a good idea, but only if we can get it to actually work in a way that's fair and affordable.