Cashman: Not at all. However, there are a lot of things to keep in mind.

That which we could afford in the 1980s has become unaffordable (the same is true for college educations).

Why isn't there an outcry over the same procedures costing 5x as much here in the U.S. as in a first-rate hospital in Canada? the closest we've come is the "we should be able to import cheaper meds from Canada" debate that seems to have faded over the last couple of years.

My first question is WHY do we pay the MOST - and, most importantly NOT GET THE MOST for what we're paying for?

Let's be honest here. If you were going to buy a TV for $500 and the SAME MODEL was LEGALLY priced in the next town for $100, wouldn't you go there? Wouldn't you demand to know why the local company was charging 5x the price? Or would you ignore it just so long as your employer's TV plan meant you only paid $25, regardless of what it cost THEM?

We have a *huge* cost problem in this country. I've heard estimates that say we could cover ALL the uninsured with the profits of the health insurance companies. I'm sorry - but you just can't justify a 39% increase in premiums when you PROFITS are up 20%! This is what I meant by the whole "sick people are a growth industry" thing earlier.

One area I can agree wholeheartedly with you is that you're damn right I'd be mad if a drunk was in front of me in line for a new liver if I needed one - you have to go back more than 10 years to make the count of total drinks I've had be more than the fingers on one hand.

The Democrats seem to be approaching this incorrectly form one side - a political dealmaker's paradise to try and solve the problem from the 'coverage' end.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are approaching it form the other side saying "if we protect the insurance companies, maybe they'll be nice to us and lower costs".

I don't think either way will work.

Maybe a "Truth In Benefits" law exposing what companies pay for insurance would help. Something that was on your paycheck every week or month. Of course, the insurance companies don't want that, citing "confidentiality" concerns. They don't want companies to know what kind of deals they work.

And on top of that, NONE of this deals with the American "Doctors Are God And Can Do Everything And Should Be Perfect Lest They Be Sued" attitude that so many have.