I know- I keep promising a follow-up on the superjumbo healthcare post. But I’ve got a small glitch that I am trying to think my way around. The original idea was that you keep private insurance companies but payment for the premiums comes from the government. That way you ensure competition, keep prices down, and makes sure everyone is insured.

The problem is that in industries where there are massive government restrictions (aerospace for example) business found a way to push back by reducing competition. The companies either went out of business or merged to the point that there are very few companies who do the job now. With little competition, the amount of sway the government has is lost.

The whole reason to keep healthcare competitive is to prevent some of the problems other countries with universal care have had. That is one of the few benefits of coming to the game late, we get to see the trouble spots and plan around them.

In the mean time, a study has just come out that says Canadians and healthier than Americans.

Canada’s national health insurance program is at least part of the reason for
the differences found in the study, Woolhandler said

And just for fun (not because I’m procrastinating) here are links to the previous posts.