C. E. White wrote:

> The US already has a National Health Care System, a private /
> goverment / no care system. It is the most expensive, most
> inefficient, and most unfair in the developed world. If our current
> National Health Care System had the best care, I suppose it could be
> excused, but by most measures, it is a failure. We have the highest
> death rate among babies in the developed world, we have the lowest
> life expectancies in the developed world, and we have the highest
> percentage of uncovered people in the developed world.

Of all industrialized democracies, we spend the most money on health
care for the poorest overall results. If there's anyone opposed to
universal care for a valid reason, their voice is drowned out by the
lunatics talking about "death panels" and claiming (lying) that illegal
aliens would qualify for the government option.

It probably is true that many smaller companies that now provide private
insurance for their employees would prefer to let their employees go
onto the government-run plan and pay whatever those costs are. In that
case, some procedures and drugs covered by their private insurance might
no longer be covered (though this is by no means clear since private
insurance companies are very stingy with what drugs they put onto their
formulary, and what procedures they'll pay for and when). I have one of
the better HMOs and they told me that it was a one year wait for a
colonoscopy. I pressed the issue and got it done within a few weeks.

If you've ever dealt with a Medicare supplement insurer for your parents
you would be advised to build a padded room in your house where you can
go to periodically bang your head against the wall. 'Yes we know that
the doctor prescribed such and such a drug which is the best treatment
option, but we won't pay for it until he prescribes something cheaper
and sees if it works, then if it doesn't work we'll pay for the drug he
prescribed, assuming you're mother is still alive at that time.'

> Dwight Eisenhower warned about the Military Industrial Complex. I
> think we now need to worry about the Medical Industry / Drug Company
> Complex.

We have to get away from the system where U.S. residents subsidize the
drug company's R&D with much higher prices than the drug companies
charge in other first world countries.

> People like Rush Limbaugh are tools of the evil rich. He does provide
> one good piece of advice - "follow the money." In the case of the
> health care debate this is very good advice. It seems to me Rush and
> his ilk are either idiots or evil. Take your pick.

They are both.