My uncle needed heart surgery and had to wait for more than a year.

My moms friend lives in Canada and has cancer. So I hear a lot of the differences in the health care. She has been in touch with doctors here in the US because we have options here that just aren't used there. Our teaching hospitals are the best there are.

If I am every very ill, I don't want to be on a list, I want care now.

Ok, that explains a bit. I was not accusing you or anything, just thinking we had not made the best choice if your care was that inexpensive. Tricare is just active duty, as you know.

We have GEHA and have been quite pleased with it.

No, I don't think there is a misunderstanding, just a difference of opinion. You sort of made my point for me. A 13 month wait for knee surgery is not acceptable. I also know their quality of medicine is not as up to par as ours due to limitations within the system, as others before me have mentioned. I guess that is an opinion based on where you read and such, but I would still rather be sick in the US than in Canada anyday.

And remember, I don't have the best opinion of doctors based on my experience, but I would still trust one here over the same procedure in Canada. It isn't that the doctors are necessarily bad, but when government sets the rules and limitations, quality of care suffers. Again, JMO.

The program is not free. Our taxes would go way up. I want to make my own decisions on healthcare, not have the government make the decisions. Look at the fema mess, our public school system is a mess. I want government to stay far away from my healthcare. I think healthcare insurance reform is a must. Government never "fixes anything" just makes a bigger mess.

HAs anyone read how much the CEOs of health insurance make??

I do not even want to tell you- google it and you will be mad at how much we all are paying a month for healthcare! Whether you work for a good co. or govt. nothing in life is free- you pay for your healthcare in a round about way-

I think something could be done about want these people make when there are lots of Americans living without healthcare. JMO

Actually, I would love Universal healthcare- actually our Governor is looking into starting a local Universal Healthcare for PA residents- which I would be very happy about, I am very glad about the area I live in- we have many hospitals that people come here from out of state and different countries for treatments!

As for the government making a Universal Healthcare- personally I think they should first start with overhauling health insurance companies, to me they all seem like a racket (if that is the correct spelling?)- they are one of the main reasons why all the prices are so high. Personally, I have a problem paying all kinds of money towards insurance and there be stipulations of what I can and can't get through them as well as who I have to see (remember the movie John Q.? Very scary but true!). If they plan on having universal healthcare- I personally think it would not be too bad if they implement a flat tax- no more taxes coming out of our pays (the downside is no more income tax returns).

As for the government screwing up with the special sectors of office- like FEMA- I would not be surprised if something happens over the big FEMA screw up from Hurricane Katrina. I bet a lot of people will be getting into trouble- I just hope the correct people will be punished!

The insurance companies are crooked, dirty rotten buggers! I hope that someone takes a look into what they are getting away with.

That is the way I feel with homeowners insurance!! I am much more concerned about that than healthcare, to be honest. I think they are all out of hand.

Did you read my post???

Are you kidding me? I pay more for health care insurance for one month than I do for homeowners per year.