I believe that both ideas are linked, Bucco. I know it would take a lot of financial analysis, but I'm guessing that simply providing insurance to those not currently insured wouldn't bend the cost curve very much, at least not very quickly. Think about it, if roughly 20% of the population is uninsured and we buy into the idea that by getting them care earlier in their illnesses, that costs would be reduced, I think it's easy to see that, while that would have a long term favorable effect, it would take a long time to "bend the curve" very much. I believe that the idea of insuring the uninsured is more a realization of a societal obligation to stop being the only country in the world that doesn't somehow provide healthcare for all it's citizens. I think it's more that than any significant cost savings projection.

No, I think that insuring the uninsured is only a part of the puzzle--maybe one of the smaller parts. In order for this to work, healthcare spending really must be reduced pretty dramatically and pretty quickly. I don't think there's any question--someone's ox will be gored.

There's one category of expense that I'm within spitting distance of--end of life healthcare costs. Both the statistics and my own personal experience shows how much money gets spent right near the end's of people's lives.

In the case of my mother-in-law, her healthcare cost over a quarter million dollars in just the last six months of her life! I don't think my wife or anyone else in the family would argue that all that expense extended her life even a week. Nor did it improve her quality of life very much in her last weeks and months. In spite of the arguments against "killing grandma", I'd have to say that this cost category is one that should get a lot of study. And the conclusions will probably affect me.

I don't intend to let that happen to me, if I can help it. I have a well-constructed Living Will and everyone in my family knows exactly what my wishes are. I think it's the counseling on this subject that was mentioned by President Obama that was villified as "death panels" and "killing grandma". That couldn't be farther from the truth, as far as I'm concerned. I only question why the people who are making such outrageous and inflammatory statements are doing so? Certainly they know better. If they're making such statements to support their personal or party ideology, shame on them. If they're doing it to further the wishes of special interests with whom they have a relationship, double shame!