I have no axe to grind ,no lobby to appease, no political points to gain by using innuendo or half truths to put down a health care system that over the last 30 years has saved my family in excess of a million dollars in health care costs. Twenty-three years ago when my 5 year old son was choking from epiglotitis Ontario health care saved his life. Three years ago when my Father's psa test went off the scale it saved his. I watched a son-in-law suffer from Crohns diesease, be operated on and recover to be a Dad to my Grandsons. I watched a dear friend suffer from congenital heart disease then die of breast cancer brought on by hormone therapy. Not once did a hospital, doctor, nurse or home care let any of them down. I don't need any articles, research, and anecdotal evidence to form an opinion. As for being a pawn. Maybe, but I've never learn how nor have I never met anyone who could pick and choose when they were going to need health care. And as for payng for it, it's never been an issue.
As far as I know the MRI was not a gubmint invention. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating single payer. With what I pay in health insurance premiums (plus deductibles and co-pays) on top of what I pay in county, state, Federal, and sales, and the companies I hold stock in pay in taxes, I get half-way decent health care and an underfunded (well not as bad as in Canada)military and a bunch of worthless bureaucracy. I think the Aussies pay less than we do in taxes and they at least get some kind of national health care and their military is fairly decent. My comment was only attempting to compare value for the tax dollar paid - something that'll never be able to be done scientifically but something worth thinking about IMHO.