Cashman, I'm as "left wing" as a bag of nickels. Is it "left wing" to demand to get our money's worth? Is it "left wing" to be outraged at why we pay so much more for drugs than others? When one is getting raked over the coals, is it "left wing" to say "ENOUGH!".

I want to address two of the statements you made - and this is sincere, I'm not being sarcastic.

My experience in Montreal was something I was reminded of because, while recently cleaning out a desk, I found the bills for that visit. $600, of which I ended up only paying $50. I *also* remember seeing SOME of the statements that came to me when my insurance company paid for the SAME services when I had attacks right here in New Hampshire. Several thousand.

And as far as "far lower quality"? The Canadians were the first to suspect that my Gastro-esophogeal Reflux Disease was, in fact, something else. I'd been suffering for 3 years at that point - attacks that feel like heart attacks. I didn't have time to wait for the CAT scan they wanted to give me as my kids were alone in a nearby hotel room and I wanted to be back before my youngest woke up - my oldest knew what was happening and the hotel staff had been alerted in case any problems arose.

Not until the NEXT attack some months later, when I discussed what happened at the Canadian hospital with the staff who saw me, did they come back with a different diagnosis. Within days, my gall-bladder was no longer in me.

Yes, I well know of the problems some Canadians have with the wait for (at least the way it's described in the papers) non-emergency services. I know of the court cases that went to the equivalent of the Quebec Provincial Supreme Court.

That's point #1. People come to this country, in general, to 'jump the line', as near as I can gather. People go to Canada to get the same drugs cheaper - heck, they organize BUS TOURS in this area for that purpose!

Now for point #2. You can tell me to go pound sand as I can imagine how personal it might be.. But what kind of surgeries were they waiting for and how old were they? It would help to put some perspective here.

And you have no reason to know about some of my anti-Medicare rants on other boards because of the torture they inflicted on my grandmother. Long story short is a woman in her 70s having a heart attack signs DNR papers with witnesses (myself included) IN THE HOSPITAL. We all have a chance to say our goodbyes. We were told she had hours to live. Literally, while we were sleeping, they schedule her for heroic surgery (quadruple bypass - after telling us she was too weak for it) against her wishes (because of "DRG days"). If I believed in Hell, I would wish a few days occupancy in it for the so-called doctor who inflicted five years of strokes, dementia and other complications on her and the entire family. My aunt had her life turned upside down having to help care for her. My anger towards "the system" knows no bounds in this case.

Please consider that the next time you think I'm "left wing".