Good point Roger..

In my mind, a small number of HMOs isn't really that much better than a single large government plan. What we have now is a small number of private companies offering insurance plans to cover expenses. They DO make bottom-line decisions all the time. Government would do the same thing only in a slightly different way - mostly through additional regualtions designed to control costs (behaviors?) or ever increasing taxation at the expense of other needs and economic development.

Niether one is good and people like Chris who provide a valuable service to the country - at lower pay than some in the private sector - end up struggling to afford basic health services. Socialized medicine would be a wonderful but very short-lived relief. The expense through addtional taxation and the inevitable decline in quality would end up costing more and more and more. (Imagine your doctor waiting for you at the end of the long line at the DMV)

What I believe is the only REAL solution is the free market. If there is one doctor on Main Street who charges you $80.00 becuase he can get an addtional $40.00 from the government - he or she is NOT motivated to reduce costs. If you had five doctors on Main Street one of them will say "Wait a second...I will charge $40.00 dollars to attract more business." As the competition (supply) increases to satisy the demand, the price of care will come down. If you have the same number of doctors relative to population and the federal government is paying, there will be an ever increasing demand being forced into the same old funnel. The outcry from overburdened medical institutions will be for more and more federal dollars to maintain staff and facilities (wee hee! the government is paying for the party!) - not to mention the administrative costs associated with managing all these people at the federal level.

We have GOT to get more doctors out there in the marketplace. (Thats where I believe government can and should help - and I would be happy to see my tax dollars going into a prgram that will have a direct and lasting effect.) It will take time, but in the long run, we will ALL be better off and be able to maintain more of our individual freedoms at the same time.

Big business DOESN'T always care about YOU...but lots and lots of small ones DO because they have to in order to survive. Medicine isn't and shouldn't be viewed any differently.

Wow...waaaaaaay off topic!