Gov't run health care kills again!!!

Regarding Natasha Richardson,
From the AP:

"It's impossible for me to comment specifically about her case, but what I could say is ... driving to Mont Tremblant from the city (Montreal) is a 2 1/2-hour trip, and the closest trauma center is in the city. Our system isn't set up for traumas and doesn't match what's available in other Canadian cities, let alone in the States," said Tarek Razek, director of trauma services for the McGill University Health Centre, which represents six of Montreal's hospitals.

There you have it. Another famous victim of government run health care. There are thousands of not so famous victims every year. Many die while waiting for treatment (6 months for angioplasty is not uncommon), or at best face a sub standard level of care, dictated not by their doctor but by a government official, who's decisions can't be appealed.

There are certainly problems in our system, most related to cost and availability of insurance. Government reforms are needed, but the government does not need to take over the system. Require insurance portability, mandate that coverage be available for pre-existing conditions provided the patient had insurance from a previous carrier, and at rates identical to all members of that age group. That prevents people who lose their jobs from being locked out, or prevents people from being able to change jobs. That's a simple fix that would benefit many. But we do not need to follow the socialist model, and shouldn't think that there are no problems in that system also.