Originally Posted by roachboy

this isn't rocket science, folks. free as in a decision is made by the electorate through representatives that allocating resources presently allocated in other ways so that basic health care is provided free of charge. then those resources are redirected.

the french system is two-tiered: free access to basic health care and compulsory private insurance for more advanced medical treatment the cost of which is sliding, so that the poor pay little or nothing and those who can afford it pay more.

the implementation of this also entailed some changes in the professional standing of doctors, a relative levelling in the hierarchies of doctors and nurses (relative to the united states), changes in salary structure and education (medical school does not come with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt)...but it can be done.

and the french system is rated consistently as the best in the world.

it's a system-level decision that can be made, that has been made, that's been implemented and that works better than the american model in terms of care delivery and in terms of research and development.

go figure.