Submitted by Robert LeFevers, Aug 23, 2007 23:58

I lived in the UK for 3 years as a teenager and was subjected to the workings of their NHS (National Health System). If all you really needed was a couple of stitches or some aspirin, things worked fine. It was the epitome of "you get what you pay for". If you needed more serious treatment....well, that's when the fun began. In addition, don't let anyone (including Michael Moore) tell you that it's "free" care. The taxes collected for this service would prompt the average U.S. citizen to instigate the second Boston Tea Party. I really get a kick out of counting the cars in the parking lot at Mass General Hospital that a sporting Canadian license plates.

Approximately 80% of the world's biomedical research is conducted in the U. S., where domestic pharmaceutical companies risk billions of dollars to create the next wonder drug. As a result, most other countries are free-riding on these investments and are negotiating lower prices with the drug makers which helps keep medical care costs down in these countries at the expense of the domestic citizen. This has to stop; R&D is expensive, so stop expecting something for nothing.

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