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To: Bearcatbob who wrote (156493)	9/5/2011 2:45:45 PM
From: KyrosL	7 Recommendations Respond to of 206087

Socialized medicine does not mean no private care. It only means that if you want more than the socialized health plan provides, you pay from your own pocket. There is a thriving private medicine market in socialized medicine countries. And because there is no government involvement in the private medicine sector, costs are much better than the USA. For example, the private medicine market in the UK has many rich non-UK customers from all over the world. Their costs are much lower than the US, and the quality just as good. You don't see many rich foreign patients choosing the US, other than kings, heads of state, and the very rich. Socialized medicine is rationed, that's why costs are low. For example, generic drugs are strongly preferred with new drugs being approved only when they are obviously much better than existing generics. Elective operations have long wait times, if they are allowed.

To: Bearcatbob who wrote (156493)	9/5/2011 2:48:44 PM
From: Jacob Snyder	14 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 206087

<What if I am willing to buy health care beyond mediocre?> There is no need to re-invent the wheel. Just look at how it's been done for many decades, in Germany or New Zealand or 20 other countries. They all have basic health care, provided free or heavily subsidized, to everyone. Then, if you want more, there is a parallel private unsubsidized system, which will provide anything and everything you can imagine (if you can pay for it). If you want a pill that costs $2 each (when there is a pill for $0.02 that works just as well), it's available, and you can waste your money if you want to. Also, there is no reason why Socialized Medicine can't be done in a way that includes competition, so you have a choice of doctors, clinics, hospitals, etc. Also, Socialized medicine is not "mediocre". That is a self-serving myth. Just look at the results between countries. Use any objective measurement you want: infant mortality, life-span, deaths from preventable causes, days lost from work, etc. The U.S. is not #1 in any of those measurements. We aren't even in the top 10. We spend more, far more, than anyone else, but our results are mediocre. The results, in rich nations with socialized medicine, are consistently superior. There is a mountain of hard facts to back up this conclusion.