Last week's Question of the Week asked readers whether they are worried about being priced out of health insurance. Oh, boy.

Out of 528 responses to this unscientific poll, fully 453 answered yes. Just 75 said they weren't worried.

Some readers' comments:

- As a retired person living on a fixed income, I am already having to choose between my medicine and my food, and not getting enough of either. If these price increases continue, I will have to give up my health insurance and go to charity. Not much to be proud of after a lifetime of hard work!

- Yes. I work for the state. The raise in insurance this coming year will be way more than any raise in wages I get.

- Those who are best positioned to improve things don't have to worry about health insurance costs. Perhaps if politicians weren't covered by generous federal or state health insurance plans, both in office and upon retirement, they might have more incentive to promote better, more affordable health care for us all.

- Yes. But the far greater concern is that I might be priced out of quality health care. No one seems to talk about this, but the reason the cost of health insurance goes up is that the cost of medical care goes up. Health care costs going up are the cause and health insurance going up is the symptom. Do we really need all the new units at St. Peter's, which cost millions of dollars, or could we more cheaply use existing facilities in Great Falls or Missoula? Because in the end, we, the medical patient, pay for the costs.