Yes, here in America, many politicians have decried the health care systems of countries that provide its citizens with, as you well call it, a basic right. I’m sure that you’ve heard the stories being created and passed around to scare us—stories about how universal health care means waiting for months for an appointment, dying while waiting for a doctor, a shortage of doctors because no one will want to go into a profession in which they can’t make as much money as they’re making now, doctors who won’t be as skilled, etc.

I can tell you this: In America, we can wait months for an appointment (done it), people have died in emergency rooms waiting for a doctor (2 such stories were in the news fairly recently), and we have our share of doctors who would have done us all a favor by becoming plumbers (let’s just say I know people). I believe that no matter what system you have, there will always be horror stories, inefficiencies, and greed, just as there are doctors and nurses who are angels among us. I have run into these wonderful health care professionals as well.

You’re not the only one who will be keeping an eye on America to see how this develops.

Good health to you and your family.

Reply: Good point; I hadn’t thought of that. However, I’m sure medical schools, as well as many politicians, would fabricate “good reasons” for the expense of med school, for example, saying that lowering the cost would allow too many people in or there wouldn’t be enough teachers or facilities or the students wouldn’t be the hand-picked best and brightest (or that lowering the cost would eventually end in a medical school bailout!).

For me, the excuses given by politicians boils down to one thing: greed. What else would keep this “health care is a commodity” system in place, especially when so many other countries have universal systems that work?