Quote Originally Posted by RICHARD View Post
The HC system here in the US is very costly because of the laws, the lawsuits and the beliefs - propagated by stupid TV shows - that you can have a pill or procedure that will cure you of everything.
What an attempt at a vast oversimplification of a very complex issue. There are lots of things that make our health care system the most expensive.

And anyone who doesn't think it is already "socialized" is not looking at the big picture. Group insurance is a form of socialization. Every time someone in the plan gets medical treatment -- everyone in the plan indirectly pays. Every time you buy goods or services you are paying for the medical care of the employees involved in the entire chain of production.

I think $16,800 to pay for medical insurance for a family (3 or more people in the family) is expensive. Add on to that deductibles and co-pays.

If you could buy that coverage -- if not provided by your employer -- it would be closer to $20,000 a year. If you could get it. Every been prescribed an anti-depressant? You probably are uninsurable. Any cancer, asthma, heart murmur in your medical history? Most likely uninsurable.

There is a whole lot of greed to go around. Drug companies, medical providers, medical devise companies, lawyers, and patients.

But assigning blame or whining about what is wrong doesn't do much toward correcting the situation! And it needs correcting. I would like to see the U.S. move up to maybe...15th?