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["K. Jo Garner" <kelly AT metalab.unc.edu>]

On Tue, 1 Jul 2003, Benjamin Brunk wrote:
->Probably true, but it's also the BEST in the world.  Other countries
->practice healthcare RATIONING.  Giving the government the right to ration

I don't know about this personally, never having lived long-term in
another country, but for the 2 incidences in France[1] where I had to
interact with the health care system were very low-cost compared to what 
someone would encounter just walking off the street in America. 

My sister doesn't have health care insurance, and her children are on 
Medicaid. Her husband doesn't have insurance as an option through his 
workplace either, and buying as an individual (with two children and two 
adults) is exorbitant for them. So, they don't. Recently she twisted an 
Achilles' tendon, with MD recommending 7 days bedrest (yeah right!) and a 
$280 ER bill to boot. So here, take 7 days off of work and make no money 
(no sick days in her business) and we'll charge you $280 for our 
"expertise". Oh yeah and the meds are extra. 

->With prescription drugs, the government will soon be dictating what drugs
->are produced, and who can have them (e.g. they may determine that some

Don't they already determine which drugs can be produced through the FDA 
review policy? Or at least sold here -- I seem to recall (again with this 
France thing!) that RU-486 was sold there years before it was available 
here. 

But my question to you, Ben, is: what's your vested interest in this? 

Cheers
KJ

[1] One was a visiting friend with asthma - ER visit: total cost, $0; the 
other, a spider bite on my leg - emergency after-hours care + 2nd
gen antibiotics: total cost, $50 MD visit + $50/meds)