To echo Raganwald, I too don't understand a blanket unwillingness to even seriously consider the single-payer model. Like you'd be a socialist or a communist fo

To echo Raganwald, I too don't understand a blanket unwillingness to even seriously consider the single-payer model. Like you'd be a socialist or a communist for even considering having private doctors and hospitals paid by the government instead of the patient. From what I understand, drugs are much cheaper in Canada. Almost all medical procedures are cheaper here. I met a couple from Texas who flew up here for something, and they said it was cheaper for them buy plane tickets, stay here in a hotel for two weeks, and all other travel expenses, and get the procedure done here than to do it at home (uninsured). They still saved thousands of dollars after all that. That's craziness. Maybe there's no perfect system. But the United States spends the most on health care per citizen, and has the lowest percent of government support. [1] You should at least consider what others are successfully doing to get the costs down and increase the quality of care for the uninsured and poor. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_compared#International_comparisons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_compared#Internatio...