However, since the public hospitals are excellent and since all really serious injuries are treated immediately and free of charge, only the really whealthy and/or powerful people care to take private isurance.

The reason I asked about excruciating pain is because Andy experienced this situation in 1999 in the UK. His knee cap had slipped and so walking caused him unbearable pain. If he had not had private insurance, he would have had to wait a year to have the problem corrected at an NHS hospital. BTW, Andy was not wealthy then - and he still isn't <s>.

Do you think that giving it to private companies is better? Sounds very much like what you have today, doesn't it? I think the really important issue is HOW this reform is done. As we say, Rome was not built in one day.

Given the choice of letting private companies or the government handle it, I would always be in favor of the private company. Governemtn never does anything better than the private sector.

That's really important. My son's father in law is a doctor, and he is very careful to avoid helping people when he is in USA, since he fears getting sued. Stupid does not describe this, insane is a better description of the current legal situation in USA.

This is precisely why I said that health care reform must start with lowering malpractice insurance costs.