Whether or not we agree on all fronts, I respect your input and your sharing of your personal opinions and experiences.

For what it's worth, I agree that somethimg has to be done. I just think they're kinda like the song "looking in all the wrong places". They have finally started getting tougher with the drug companies (note the article in today's Sun, re: Pfizer). I still say that controlling TV ads about medical stuff (no, I don't view it as censorship, just good sense), lawyers looking to sue, etc. would certainly save big bucks. As I have said before, I don't need some TV ad telling me to "ask my doctor if xxx is right for me". If he doesn't know without an ad telling me to ask him, then it's time to change doctors. As for Medicare picking up the tab for "end-of-life counseling", to me that is another waste. If they are going to pay doctors for this, can't you just discuss it with him/her at an already scheduled appointment? As for some government yahoo "counseling" us, no way.