Doc,
You sure said a lot of words for saying nothing at all. I'd like to know what you would suggest to fix the problem, not just that you think it needs fixing.

Well thought out and rational.

I am wondering if anyone noticed, based on the lack of posts.

The arrogance of the american populace is astounding at times. We are the only industrialized country that doesn't use some form of government run (socialized) medicine.

The last report I saw ranked the US 38th in overall health among those countries. Yet we spend almost DOUBLE the next closest country per person on healthcare. And that inspite of almost 50 million people who have no insurance and avoid using the system at all. We have a silly non-system that benefits drug companies, insurance companies, etc. at the expense of the patients and all the rest of us.
Surely we can and must do better.
If we chosse to ignore it much longer the problem will grow bigger. Our current system is kind of like cancer, if its treated early on it curable in most cases, but ignored long enough it can kill you.

Our healthcare system in its current form, will kill the country if its not treated.

What an outstanding article. It is about time doctors start pushing for a government run, single payor system. The government is the only organization with the balls to hand all you complaining MD's a medicare reimbursement schedule, and say, "this is all you get paid." How the hell do you think all those other countries cut their medical care cost in half? you guest it; dumb doctors get paid less. You would think that with 8 years of higher education you would figure it out. Ya big baby!

>The arrogance of the american populace is astounding at times. We are the only industrialized country that doesn't use some form of government run (socialized) medicine<

Have you not heard of Medicare, Medicaid, or SCHIP?

Yes - we should have a totally nationalized health care system like all the more "enlightened" Europeans and Canadians. It's working really well for them. For example, in Britain none of the natives want to be doctors anymore because they work for peanuts and for the Government to boot. Consequently, Britain has had to bring in Doctors from Pakistan and other third world countries. Who cares if every so often one of these Doctors (who also are followers of the "religion of peace") decides to drive a car bomb into the lobby of a Hospital as happened recently