According to FreeERISA data, in 2009 the average health care premium paid per participant in the 100+ market was $5,556. In 2010, that number rose more than 5 percent to $5,844. That is an unsustainable rate, and it's time we took matters into our own hands.

Health care costs and personal responsibility. It seems like people expect they can lower health premiums by shopping around, or by passing legislation, or by wishing really hard – and those things can certainly help – but it's kind of like weighing four hundred pounds and trying to get yourself ready to run a marathon by buying new sneakers.

For several years, I suffered from hypertension, and for several years, my doctor wanted to put me on medication. I refused. I didn't want to spend money on pills when the real problem was just that I ate too much and exercised too little. A study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine estimated the cost of hypertension medication after initial treatment to be around $336 per year.