I hope America does get a public health system soon. I read a book a while ago called 'Toxic Sludge is Good for You' that included a chapter on that previous attempt to introduce a public health system. Very much an eye-opener. Pharmaceutical companies orchestrated its collapse.
Australia has quite a successful public health system, and it has just been announced that it is going to be torn down and rebuilt in an even fairer and more encompassing way. Great news, as far as I'm concerned. If I can go to the doctor and walk away without paying a cent despite not having any sort of insurance, it makes me happy :)
Search for 'youtube to mp3' and you'll find that sites do this very easily for you-- paste in the youtube URL, and it'll send you an mp3.
The slate article's subhead sez: "Private insurance companies dump very sick claimants based on stupid technicalities. That's reason enough to support health reform." Actually, that's reason to support Insurance reform, which is desperately needed. Nationalizing healthcare means we'll be paying for Healthcare with all the efficiency and savings of, say, military procurement.
As opposed to all the ruthless efficiency of HMOs.
I've seen a lot of waste and stupidity in the business world too.
Well, like I said, if it's ruthless efficiency that bothers you, outlaw ruthlessness by insurance companies. It's not as if the government will be able to treat everyone for everything. They'll make hard decicisions that'll prevent people from getting available but expensive treatments. The main difference is that you and everyone else will have less choice in the matter of your own health and the money you'll be spending on it.
P.S. How's MassCare working out for you? Some of the most expensive premiums in the US, and longest wait times there.
I've heard mixed things about MassCare, not much from a source I'd considered unbiased, ala http://redstaterusa.blogspot.com/2009/07/mass-care-model-for-obama-care-already.html
Longer wait times? I'd think some of that would be expected, as coverage increased. Part of the goal is increased use of the system.
Expensive premiums? What were they before MassCare started? It's an expensive state.
Again, I don't see why the gov't program is likely to be worse than HMOs. I don't see that much of the good ol' free market competition between insurance/HMOs, or what I do see is geared not at providing better service but at making things cheaper.
Americans have a curious fear of socialism.
I think so too! On the other hand, I have to admit that our track record for business and the economy seems generally good over the past century, not ALL of which can be explained by WW2 and an abundance of natural resources... so I dunno, sometimes.