Whidbey Island got a dose of the controversy over health care legislation last week when U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen visited Oak Harbor and Coupeville on Thursday.

At both meetings, he was greeted by large crowds of people deeply concerned about their own health care. Either they were satisfied with what they had and didn’t want to lose it, or they weren’t satisfied and wanted the government to provide something better.

Emotions were high all around, but the vast majority of islanders in attendance behaved respectfully.

Larsen handled the situation as well as could be expected. It’s hard to succinctly explain the 1,000-page health care plan being considered by the House of Representatives. And certainly it’s impossible to make any promises. The Senate hasn’t even come up with a plan of its own yet, and any final plan would come out of a House/Senate conference committee. Naturally, Larsen could speak only in generalities and constituents were frustrated by the lack of specificity.

What the congressman should have left Whidbey Island with is the knowledge that health care is vitally important to the people here, as it is everywhere. Congress must act to repair the system.

From Whidbey Island’s perspective, a top priority is to make health care affordable to small businesses, from self-employed people to businesses with only a handful of workers. Small business will help get us out of this economic slump, but only if people can afford to go into business for themselves, and to work for small businesses. People who work in small retail shops and small manufacturing plants need health care just as much as Boeing workers and government employees do. Congress must make sure they have affordable access to health insurance.

Another priority is to make sure that no American family has to go without health care due to lack of employment, and another is to make sure that no American family has to go bankrupt because of medical bills. Perhaps not everyone can be covered by a Cadillac plan, but basic, affordable health care must be available to all. And everyone should have to pay what they can afford, even if it’s only a few symbolic dollars. No free rides.

Health care is a complex issue, which explains why it hasn’t been adequately addressed over the last century. But as a nation we can no longer afford to ignore the issue. Our economic health depends on it.