>>>>>>>How about this one ?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/08/18/free-market_death_panels_97922.html
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I've actually heard similar stories before. You guys are missing my point. I asked specificallly about England in order to sift through the crap the media puts out there and you answer about the U.S. I know about the U.S. already. I've posted some of the problems with it myself previously.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>In any system there are shortcomings I tried looking up your thing about hip and knee in Sussex (or was it Surrey I always mix them up)but couldn't find anything.
>>>>
>>>>That's actually good to hear. That means it was likely something being considered and when publicized, it was dropped or else it never was even a consideration at all and the media is spitting out nonsense.
>>>>
>>>>We have some real problems here with private insurance but I've posted it all before so I won't again.
>>>
>>>Its very difficult to see through all the coverage whats true and what isn't. One comment that resonated with me was that because of the NHS in the UK no-one is afraid of becoming ill.
>>
>>That's good to hear. The same is true here as well, except for those who do not have insurance. If you do not have insurance and become ill, you will get treated regardless of your ability to pay. However, unless you are an illegal immigrant, the cost will not be 'written off' and you will be hounded for life to pay it. It may ruin your credit in the process or even worse, force you into bankruptcy. Most clinics, labs, hospitals, doctors, etc have repayment plans, but not every single one. At the same time you are paying for your services (or not and are ruined), illegal immigrants have their expenses entirely 'written off' because there is no hope of recovering the costs. There is a section of this country who live above the poverty line but do not earn enough to reasonably be expected to pay for medical insurance unless it is provided by their employer(s). Yes, some folks actually do work multiple jobs to support their family or get ahead. That is the section of the population (as well as those dropped by their insurance) who REALLY NEED the healthcare reform.
>>
>>That is why I strongly support healthcare reform. However, if and when we get it, it needs to be the best we can make it and we need to learn from the mistakes of medicaid and medicare and other countries (who have gone through the 'what does work' and 'what doesn't work' process already). Rushing through legislation just to get it in place is too likely to create the same mess we have with Medicaid now. Our government has not proven itself as good managers like yours has.
>
>If the government option is really dead, so is one of the two main tenets. Obama set out to control costs and insure the uninsured. Cost control appears to be out the window. The insurers and the medical industry appear to have won again.

I disagree. See my reply to Peter.