Sorry Mogul,
I can't agree with anything you've written. While I agree with your notion of that our federal government would (and will) probably screw up O'Care. most of your talking points stated in your above post are not on target.

In fact, so off target, I'm not sure where to start picking it apart.... but to say:

* Big Insurance and Pharma, seem to be very regulated, but their lobby is only eclipsed by the energy lobby and they have gamed the system long ago. The notion that they are regulated to death is what they'd (and the federal gov't) like you to believe.

* IF you're suggesting (and I'm not sure this was your intent) that malpractice insurance rates are a large part of the escalating health care costs, that is myopic and simply false. Yes, doc's rates are high, but this is a small pimple on the ass of an elephant. I do agree that tort reform is one part of the equation in reducing the runaway train, but it is because hospitals and docs must constantly practice defensive medicine, which hugely trumps up the costs. But eliminating MP insurance would barely scratch the surface of the problem. Your claim, if indeed that is what you are saying, is a long stated myth by the right wing that is a deflection of the real problem (practicing defensive medicine).

Health care costs were on an escalating track long after Medicaid was introduced so if that was the stimulus for escalating costs, it sure took a long time for the graph to begin it's steep incline. And it has not been for the last 50 years, more like 30 years that overall costs began getting stupid. I can remember health care costs in the early 80s still being reasonable. My direct feeling is things started rising in the late 80s.

I do not buy into the argument that the federal government is the root cause of high costs, which seems to be what you are suggesting. That is also myopic ....and if the majority of the American public actually believe that, then we are all doomed. Because if we can't acknowledge the real problems, that it is multi faceted, that there is no magic bullet solution.... then we will never solve the problem.

Step 1 in the 12 step is admitting there is a problem, but the other 11 steps are defining the problems and your points are simply off target Sorry.