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Lewis Gregory suffered a heart attack two years ago that left the family mired in debt.

"We have absolutely no way to even dream of paying $125,000," he said.

Lewis's story has become more and more common in the US. Fifteen percent of Americans do not have health benefits. And of that number, as many as 80 percent have at least one parent working full-time. They make too much money to qualify for government-sponsored health plans, but not enough to pay for private healthcare. And more still are turned down by health insurance companies because of age limits or ongoing medical conditions.

I won't try to list all the reasons that the US healthcare system leaves so many of its citizens without healthcare. But the fact is that more and more Americans are going to bed each night without adequate health benefits or without healthcare at all. And as recently as 2005, the White House proposed $10 billion in cuts to Medicaid.

Is there a solution in sight?

Well, there just might be. And it comes in the form of Consumer Drive Health benefits programs (CDH). In some ways it operates like any business in a capitalistic society. The healthcare provider with the most reasonable rates and best quality of service gets the most business. Those doctors who are too expensive or don't meet their patients' needs, don't get customers. But there's a twist. With CDH, the consumer has the power of a network of other consumers to help negotiate the most reasonable price possible.

Sounding a bit like an HMO? Consumer Driven Health programs are not HMOs or any other kind of insurance. The biggest difference is that the patient and the doctor-not the insurance company-decide what treatment the patient will receive, based on whatever criteria matters most to the patient.

And there's another BIG difference. With Consumer Driven Health there are: - No waiting periods - No deductibles - No claims forms - No age limits - No ongoing medical problems exclusions - No hassles

That's not all. With Consumer Driven Health benefits, the customer receives many services that insurance companies and Medicare/Medicaid do not allow, including vision, dental, orthodontic, chiropractic, and even cosmetic surgery!

If this sounds too good to be true, think again. Consumer Driven Health is set up to be successful. They provide reasonable rates, and quality products and services. But the most important thing is that Consumer Driven Health programs provide a reasonable alternative to a health benefits system that isn't working for a large number of Americans.