Lots of stories and exceptions. England spends about as much per year on the individuals health care as my monthly medical insurance costs.

A friend had a very bad stomach ache. She had insurance (Kaiser). They said she had acid reflex. The problem continued for months with many trips to Kaiser. She went to another hospital and had to pay out of her own pocket for medical care. She had cancer and was dead two months later.

On the tele news they said that over 150,000 Americans die each year of cancer because they have no insurance and cannot afford treatment.

There is a doctor in Marin County who treats cancer. The treatments are expensive and insurance companies will not cover it. His patients have had a 100% survival rate for more than ten years. He treats each incidence of cancer as a separate issue. He does not use one approach as do many doctors.

We need more than medical insurance or health care. We need a competent medical profession that cares for patients.





>>I only denigrated the 'free' health care of Cuba in so much as Castro has used it like bread and circuses. Swapping freedom for free health care still doesn't seem like a good deal, though I believe in both.
>
>Same here. I'm a proponent for free health care (and I'm mostly libertarian - I know, it makes no sense). However, in Britain's case when it comes to cancer, I'm not sure the national system is the best route to go:
>
>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/21/ncancer121.xml
>
>I guess we're not privy to the rate in Cuba...