Editor 's note : Kathleen Sebelius is secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration . Kathleen Sebelius says health care costs are a huge and growing burden on the economy . ( CNN ) -- Today in Washington , some politicians like to suggest that the many challenges we face as a nation mean we should n't tackle health care reform . Nothing could be further from the truth . With more and more of America 's families , businesses , and local , state and federal governments struggling with the crushing costs of health care , health care reform has never been more important . As President Obama has often said , you ca n't fix the economy without fixing health care . Unless we fix what is broken in our current system , everyone 's health care will be in jeopardy . Health care reform is not a luxury . It is a necessity . It 's important to look at the size of the problem we face and where we stand . Today , we have by far the most expensive health system in the world . We spend 50 percent more per person on health care than the average developed country , according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development . We spend more on health care than housing or food , the McKinsey Global Institute reported . Nearly 46 million Americans are uninsured , millions more are underinsured , and they are n't the only ones who are suffering . The high cost of care is hurting all of us . A recent study by Families USA estimates that insured families pay a hidden health tax of more than $ 1,000 every year . The hidden tax is the amount businesses and families with insurance have to pay in insurance premiums , taxes and donations to help cover the cost of treating uninsured Americans . Health insurance premiums for families that are covered through a job at a small business have increased 85 percent since 2000 , and more small businesses are thinking about dropping health insurance benefits . Nationwide , health care costs consume 18 percent of our gross domestic product . If we continue on our current path , health care costs will consume 34 percent of our GDP by 2040 , and the number of uninsured Americans will rise to 72 million , according to the Council of Economic Advisers . Even though we spend more than any other nation on health care , we are n't healthier . Only three developed countries have higher infant mortality rates . Our nation ranks 24th in life expectancy among developed countries . More than one-third of Americans are obese . These statistics are the signs of a system that is both unacceptable and unsustainable . They also show us the high cost of doing nothing . If we choose the status quo , more Americans will be uninsured , costs will continue to rise , and every American 's health care will be at risk . Inaction is not an option , and reform is long overdue . The Obama administration is working to enact reform that will reduce costs for families , businesses and government ; protect people 's choice of doctors , hospitals and health plans ; and assure affordable , quality health care for all Americans . We are guided by a simple principle : Protect what works about health care and fix what 's broken , and do it in a way that does not add to the deficit . The president has already introduced proposals that will provide $ 950 billion over 10 years in savings to finance health care reform . Much of these resources come from wringing waste out of the current system and aggressively prosecuting fraud and abuse . We will continue to work with Congress as it explores other financing options , and the president is open to ideas about how we finance health care reform . But we are not open to deficit spending . Health care reform will be paid for , and it will be deficit-neutral over 10 years . Working together , we can pass real health care reform that gives Americans the choices they deserve and the affordable , quality coverage they need . And we know they do not want us to wait . Too many people have suffered without basic medical care or paid too much for it . For years , the American people have called on Washington to meet this challenge . They have waited long enough . The time for reform is now . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kathleen Sebelius .
Kathleen Sebelius : « Nous avons besoin de la volonté politique et She says that because of rising cost , existing system is unsustainable . She says U.S. pays more , but citizens are n't healthier than in other countries .