Is this biased reporting?

[--Pete]

Hi,

I'm not willing to say that we ought to restrict access for the sake of a few dollars; I stand on principle and say that health care access is a fundamental right in modern society, a right that is tied to an equal right to life.  It might cost more, it might be a bit more 'inefficient,' but I see it as a fundamental sign of the real committment of a government and its people to their stated democratic ideals.[right][snapback]93590[/snapback][/right]

Good, in principle. But health care can be a never ending hole that can, and will, swallow all of a society's assets. And the costs aren't only monetary; for every transplant, there needs to be a donor, there's only one or two 'best' doctors in any given field, etc. If you add the desire of some people to 'preserve' the life of their loved ones well beyond any hope of a cure or recovery, you get a good glimmer of where the problems lay.

It is possible, of course, to 'socialize' health care. The result, so far, has been very mixed. In some cases, the care was so inferior that those who could afford to went elsewhere. In other cases, a 'black-market' health care system grew around the state sanctioned system -- often with the tacit acknowledgment of the state. And then there is the problem epitomized by the joke:

What do you call the person who graduated last of his class in med school?
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'Doctor', of course.

Two facilities might be the same on paper, but the difference in the respective staffs might represent fifty years of medical progress. And, of course, it is impossible for the best practitioner in any field to see all the patients.

So, no matter how one cuts it, universal, premium, indefinite coverage -- while a great sound bite -- is impossible. The real question then becomes, what standard of care, if any, is everyone entitled to? For the answer to be workable, it must meet realistic limitations, or it will fail for lack of resources. Ideal health care coverage is just that -- an ideal.

However, the situation in the USA is far from ideal. It is a tragedy and a travesty, given our means. 'Fixing' that system will take political courage to alienate the medical special interests including the medical insurance companies, and the willingness to ask the voters for the necessary funds. In our political system, that's a no-win situation.

--Pete