>Then allow me to deliver a parthian shot: ;-)
>
>Seems you don't like the current system but you don't want it reformed- or you do want it reformed, but you want it placed into the hands of the bureaucrats by which I mean HMO and insurer bureaucrats. Seems you want to perpetuate and increase their intervention between you and your physician even knowing that their motive is short-term benefit for shareholders, not you. We've already seen the capabilities of businesspeople to wreck a market by focusing on profit. You blamed government for that because they relaxed banking regulations: if government hands more control to private insurers, will you blame government again if it turns bad? Will you assert that they shouldn't have changed the existing system whose faults suddenly will be forgotten? Or will you expect government to learn from its mistakes and start taking steps before it becomes a disaster costing trillions?

I knew I shouldn't have looked back... ;)

I've posted links to a couple better market based solutions and I've never advocated handing control to bureaucrats of any stripe. I want the control back in the hands of doctors and patients. Private tax free accounts should play a role...insurance should play a role similar to auto, home, fire, etc...boutique medical care should be allowed to flourish in general and emergency care, just as lasic and elective surgery has. I want more market players not less. I want certain government controls including tax policy, interstate regulation and employer-based health insurance to be removed. I don't mind some insurance regulation and am flexible regarding coverage restrictions. I want additional regulation in regards to malpractice litigation. I want to end US government run health programs as they have proven to tremendous wastes of money subject to massive fraud, regulatory manipulation and endless expansion.

I do not care what Canada, Britain, France etc do as that's for their citizenry to decide, just as ours is for us to decide. Current polling shows that the overwhelming majority of US citizens are covered and are happy with their coverage. Should that matter?

I'll leave you with this question. You've mentioned costs several times before, specifically in regards to the cost of US health care vs. other countries. The US government accounts for roughly 45% of health expenditures in the US. Do you see any correlation or causation?

...and I promise not to look back this time until I return next week. :)