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Sounds like you should move to Germany—I don’t mean that to be sarcastic, but if it is as great as you say, why not? You seem familiar with it. But don’t make MY health care system in the US (which I firmly believe is the best in the world) into yours in Germany. More importantly, even if Germany’s is great, it is not likely that our “solution” will look like Europe’s—I think more likely it will look like Canada’s at best Cuba’s at worse.

Uh No, I don’t read German press on German health care, but Canadian health care news is reported in English. They have huge problems. Period. Canadians flock south of the border to get decent, timely health care here in the US. Fact, and I know this first hand as I lived in North Dakota. In fact, Canada is looking to make changes in their system to make it more like ours. The British freely admit their health care system is poor. So Germany must be an island of health care nirvana.

We may be spending 15 percent of GDP, but that is ME and my company making decisions, not just the government. Yes the government can reduce spending, but they will reduce choice and access—everyone will have access only less access to procedures they need. That is rationing which you say is OK. Oh and if you think there won’t politics, waste and corruption, well you forget that the President learned politics in the City of Chicago, IL—the corruption capital of the USA.

As I said, my daughter had MRI done in 2 hours by the newest MRI machine in the State of IL. Cost? $3,600. A PRIVATE imaging company has started a business to compete with the area hospitals. Tho I did not have to pay all because I had insurance, I was glad to have the opportunity not to have to wait for some government-DMV-style approval system. Are you telling me you get state-of-art MRI “right away” and it is free? Again, I suggest you move to or stay in Germany. Reduced profit incentive will not allow this company to stay in business. Period.

You say there are more doctors per capita in Germany, well Germany is not as large as the US in terms of land mass or population, and you do not specify what type of doctors GP, specialists, what. You mention nothing about their wages, German tax rate, etc. either.

You state that I don’t know the difference between the University system and the health care system. and that the US will continue to lead the world in Medical Research as long as the university sytem remains in tact. Universal coverage wont’ affect it. This is the key misunderstanding in the “health care debate”.

Why do you say it as fact? It is not a fact and I disagree that universal health care will not impact the American Research Hospitals and universities. WHY are they number 1 in the world??? It is not because we have socialized medicine! In fact, I am pretty sure that hospitals and universities will cease to lead the world in research. So we are going to cut costs, yet somehow fund cutting-edge research when there is no profit potential. It does not add up unless government wants to tax my future grandchildren even more.

There is this incentive in a capitalist economy—it is called PROFIT. There will be no incentive. I live in an area that has multiple research hospitals and med schools, as well as pharmaceutical companies. I see things first- hand here in US, not in Germany. These institutions all revolve around staffing with the brightest, funding and profitability. Period. Take away the profit incentive and you will not have the cutting edge research. Do you think the best and brightest students are going to want to go to med school when their salaries are capped by some health care pay czar? Think it won’t happen? Google Bank Pay Czar. Czars of course are not under the control or approval of congress, they serve at the pleasure of the president and this one has appointed 21 so far.

So the dirty little secret is that you say rationing is OK. That is the crux.

I am not disagreeing that we need to need to address aspects of our health care system such as huge malpractice premiums for doctors or going to ER for stomach flu or a cold. However, that doesn’t require a governmental take over of all health care!!!

I personally like the idea that I GET TO CHOSE MY INSURANCE OPTIONS, & I GET TO CHOOSE WHERE I WANT TO GO, WHEN I WANT TO GO, AND TO WHOM I WANT TO GO TO. Lest you think that I am over-using the system, tho I have taken my kids to doctors fairly regularly, I have not gone for several years until last week for a tetnus shot.

You talk how this will save money, and make our companies more competitive....in addition to corruption and political payoffs,

1. How many jobs are leaving the US to go to Europe? I know they go to Ireland because they speak English and are educated and will accept lower wages, but really, are you saying that Europe is more competitive than US—I have not heard that and tho I don’t listen to German press, I would need stats in English to buy that. I think lower wages in general and less corporate tax is what drives jobs off-shore, not just health care costs, companies can and do simply CHOOSE to offer less, tho that will not be the case under obamacare where they will be REQUIRED to offer insurance.

2. Do you know how they are proposing to pay for this???? VAT just like in Germany! I don’t know the tax rates for Germans, but you mention nothing about that or the fact that in addition to the 11+ trillion we are now in debt for future generations, our government is going to

a. implement a VAT—Funny how conservatives in Euirope are winning elections because they know that thesocialist policies of the past 20 years has hurt their competitiveness.

b. tax our health care benefits and tax employers’ contributions—well that makes them more competitive and I can hardly wait to pay even more taxes so everyone can have minimal coverage. What do we win in this scenario?

c. Start taxing my lifestyle choices—the government is going to tax sugar? salt? because they have deemed that I consume to much? Wow got socialism?

You note our spending, as I said, a lot of that is private spending which may not be available—it is not available in Canada—you have to come here to pay more for procedures the government in Canada has decided to ration. In fact people are now actually suing the government in Canada to get access to procedures. Maybe just what one is used to....

By the way, I don’t equate life-expectancy with bang for buck. Tho my family did not approve, my mother chose to smoke. She cut her life expectancy, but I don’t think that she did not live a full or productive life. Just because our life expectancy is SLIGHTLY LOWER than some countries in Europe, that does not mean that our lives are not better and we are not generally just as healthy.

Finally, I think you are ignoring the most basic of points. The purpose of the health care overhaul is NOT to provide access and reduce costs, it is to take over the one remaining profitable segment of the economy and further control the population.

Tho I do appreciate your lengthy response, I am sorry but you have convinced me of nothing other than fact that you seem to support a western European system, which by definition historically has been a type of soft socialism from which they seem to be currently moving away. I think there are issues within our US health care system, but I believe that they can be resolved in other ways that do not involve a full-fledged fascist take-over by the government.

As I often say, I guess we just agree to disagree, and I REALLY DISAGREE.