England, where sick people are fed to badgers | Democracy in America | Economist.com

The reason Mr Grassley can get so many things fundamentally wrong, in such a short quote, is that the entire direction of his thinking is 180 degrees off base. Government involvement in the health-care system is not what might prevent Mr Kennedy from getting treated. It is what guarantees that Mr Kennedy gets treated. In Britain, it is the universal mandate of the NHS to cover everyone that guarantees treatment. In America, it is the universal mandate of Medicare to cover everyone from age 65 onwards that guarantees treatment. Mr Kennedy has always declared his determination to give health-care coverage like his own to every American. Right now, that kind of guaranteed coverage is what Americans under 65 do not have. Read More