Bonnie, Nothing I have heard or read is suggesting that the government is going to provide care to all citizens. The Obama plan, actually just a blueprint, calls for a public/private initiative. You will never be able to get rid of the insurance companies, which would have to happen with a Govt. run program. What I hear him saying is to establish a kind of "best practices" panel which would gather information from around the country to actually decide WHAT works best, instead of every state and insurance Co making the decision, it can cut out worthless procedures, duplicated tests and wasted hospital time, AND maybe save some money. If you read his speech, which I linked at the beginning, you’d get a better idea than I can relate.

We just can’t go on as it is !!! 

I know women who go without mammograms because they don’t have insurance, or their insurance is so bad they don’t want to find anything before they can get a better policy if they get a new job, etc. As it is now we pay more money per person for less care under this top heavy private system where something like $35 for every $100 goes toward administrative costs. We have Insurance companies dictating to patients and doctors what sort of treatment is allowed and these are the "lucky" folks who have insurance… what about the millions without? What about the millions who are so under-insured they can’t go to a doctor unless they have a catastrophic illness? I know a couple, both working, WITH insurance… husband is diabetic and one son is autistic, and they went bankrupt due to medical expenses. This is WITH insurance.

I know many people in Ireland, and my best friend is a nurse who moved from the US 20 years ago to Canada and has lived and worked in their system that long and none of them would trade the care or peace of mind they have with their systems, with the American health industry.