"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...

It's actually going to be even more complicated than that. Every
country that I'm aware of with universal coverage has some sort of
implicit or explicit rationing of care, i.e., if you don't have a
condition that is immediately life threatening, you go on a waiting
list which can stretch out for months or even years.

Should an individual who can afford to pay be allowed to seek out a
doctor or hospital that can provide the care immediately?

I argue yes, otherwise the whole plan reeks of socialism.


The health care system certainly needs a major overhaul. The existing mess
of a system not only affects those individuals who can't afford high
premiums for decent insurance, it affects the whole basis of our economic
system. Small businesses can no longer afford to offer a decent health plan
package for employees. Large businesses are outsourcing as much as they can
to stay competitive in a global economy, contributing to the unemployment
rate.

Contrary to the opinion of some here, the primary purpose of a corporation
(large or small) is not to provide a happy, secure shell of existence for
employees. The purpose is to manufacture or provide services at a profit.
The profit can be applied to growth and/or increased income and benefits for
those employed. If there is no profit, benefits have to be cut and jobs
eliminated.

I recently got a snapshot of how my former company is doing. Second to
pay, health insurance premiums (the company paid 75 percent when I owned it)
is the largest financial cost to the company. It was when I owned it and it
continues now, except the monthly cost per employee has almost doubled in
less than 10 years.

If I owned the company right now, I suspect I'd be facing a very difficult
decision ... or the decision would be already have been made for me. Shut
the place down. Fortunately, the current owners have deep pockets and are
betting on a single, major technology to recover the financing they are
pouring into it to keep the doors open.

I was also thinking the other day of how ironic some things have become.
Back in 1985 I visited the People's Republic of China. The Chinese
government was experimenting with concepts of capitalism in some remote
sections of the country and my company was invited to visit and explore
possible technology exchanges and marketing opportunities. Prior to this
time, the general Chinese population were mostly kept in the dark with
respect to what the rest of the world was doing and relied upon a
socialistic/communistic form of government to provide for them. During my
visit I remember thinking it was like a time warp, and I had traveled back
about 200 years in time.

Fast forward now to 2010. The experiments in capitalism have led to China
becoming a leading economic world power. The city I visited (Wuxi) is
bustling with business activity. When I was there I witnessed thousands of
people riding around on bicycles or scooters with maybe one or two
automobiles mixed in driven by government officials. I recently found
pictures of the current city of Wuxi. The roads are packed with new cars
owned by the local citizens. Very few bicycles left.

Meanwhile, the USA is accelerating quickly towards socialism.

Maybe this is acceptable to the "enlightened" ones. As an old fart to whom
this country afforded great opportunities and rewards, I am saddened.

Eisboch