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Our health care industry is the envy of the civilized world, and there are people outside the US that are wondering why we want to change it. We are trying to fix something that isn't broken.




Dean, do you honestly believe that our system isn't broken? That stuns me. While yes, we might have access to the best technology money can buy in our healthcare system, and we have more money being spent on medical research than other countries, I'm afraid that saying our healthcare system is the envy of the civilized world is not even remotely true anymore. Yes, they envy our state of the art hospitals , unparalleled resources, and large number of doctors that practice here, but as far as how we treat people and the way that only people who have insurance have access to that amazing quality healthcare, well, in that regard, we are an international laughingstock. Other nations look at us and wonder how it is that the most powerful, and perhaps wealthiest, country in the world lets tens of millions of people live without insurance--that is, live without access to basic healthcare. How is it that this great nation with its amazing medical industry has an infant mortality rate that ranked 29th in the world in 2008? Socioeconomic factors such as lifestyle choices, teen pregnancy rates, etc. certainly play a part in that mortality rate, but so too does a lack of access to prenatal care and basic healthcare services.

What the U.S. healthcare system does well, it does better than any country in the world--that is irrefutable. But until everyone has at least basic access to that system, to say it is not broken is equally indefensible, in my opinion.

Brad