It isn't too much of a surprise that many Americans are finding the cost of health care too high to be affordable. Having said that though, they are also happy with the quality of their health care.

It's interesting to note that a recent survey of Americans about the health care system discovered that overall, people were pleased with the quality of the health care they received. On the other hand, the cost of health care was entirely a different matter. Cost is a flash point with many people in this recession and it should come as no shock that those being polled would respond to the higher costs of health care.

It's not a secret that health care costs have gone up precipitously over the last few years, with seemingly no end in sight. Although with some of the recently announced changes to the system coming in 2010, the price pendulum may swing back to the point of being reasonable. And that's the conundrum facing us today, the quality of our health care and what we should be expected to pay for it.

Two out of three people who were asked questions about their experiences with our health care system were pleased with the quality of care they received. With quality care however comes a hefty price tag, much like the saying, "You get what you pay for." So it's a bit of a dilemma for the system to also be condemned as not being very affordable, as in where does the system draw the line between quality and affordability? The poor affordability rating came from those who suffer from disabilities or other chronic conditions.

The number of people polled for this interesting survey was fairly representational of the American population at large, with close to 14% of those responding admitting they had no health care because they couldn't afford it. This doesn't address what they would do if they required health care and had to pay for the expenses incurred out of their own pockets. The respondents who did have health insurance mostly received it from an employer, who sponsored a group health care plan at their place of employment.

While the survey is valid in terms of being representational for the nation, it did not include a portion that asked people what they were willing to pay for quality health care. Quality health care and the skill to deliver it needs to be reimbursed in some manner, so the question is how to deal with that and ensure everyone has access to affordable health care.