first, make health insurance affordable to pretty much everybody. obamacare? the whole health insurance debate is pretty difficult in the u.s.a. many patients and people have been helped at el camino hospital over the many years. make it a top-notch hospital for really good patient care in such a manner as to not bankrupt the patient

Randy, when I was a young kid, back in the mid-20th century, healthcare was affordable.

Congressmen taxed income on the "rich" so much that nobody wanted to get a pay raise since all their extra pay would go to the IRS. Corporations counterattacked the IRS by offered tax-free benefits, such as "free" health insurance to recruit top talent.

Soon, everybody wanted "free" health insurance. Doctors charged more because the "wealthy" insurance companies could afford to pay it. Soon, malpractice lawyers smelled money and a doctor's malpractice insurance bills went sky high. Next, insurance companies took months to pay the doctors, so doctors had to hire more people to beg the insurance companies for the money owed them. The American Medical Association is a trade union (same as the Teamsters and Auto Workers) whose only goal was to make doctors wealthy. "Big Pharma" is the drug companies who charge exorbitant fees and only push drugs which can be patented, thus enriching the drug companies and their stockholders (i.e., you and me). The pill you pay $10 for sells in Tijuana for 12¢, and in Canada for 28¢. Your congressman (and his lobbyists) make this legal and mandatory.
Most health conditions are preventable and easily corrected through diet, exercise and nutrition. You can't patent good health practices, so there is no profit motives in it.
Now don't make me explain it again!

Hey Old timer...

I did not realize that free health insurance was offered by corporations to employees to get around paying income taxes. That is really interesting and I'm going to read further on the subject.

I do understand why "The pill you pay $10 for sells in Tijuana for 12¢, and in Canada for 28¢." Big Pharma is a global operation and they look to recoup research expenses in the most optimal way possible. Mexico pays 0.12, because that is what they can afford. If they charge $5, then the pharma companies will make less revenue overall. Canada pays 28 cents, because they have nationalized health care and will only pay a certain amount. That leaves the United States that is so worried about being labeled with the McCarthy era Socialist label, that health care is privatized.

Unfortunately, the "free market" does not work very well when you have Big Pharma with monopolies on patented life saving drugs and the consumer/buyer of the product unable to refuse paying whatever it takes to save or extend their lives. Health care is not like buying a TV. You can't just walk away from a pill that will save your life and go find another. You may be in extreme pain or looking at the end of your life. Most likely, you will pay.

The US will go to a form of nationalized health care--it is just a matter of time. How we consume health care will be different than it is today, but by spending less on it means that we will be more innovative. That's what I love about this country...we will persevere!