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        I hate to beat the subject to death, but I have a distinctively
different view from the latest postings; My experience is with military
health care systems: Tricare was recently put into  practice in my region
and it is basically managed care. I have found it to be very time consuming,
paper-wasteful, and basically not good medicine, but purely cost containment.
That it the bottom line and until that goal/philosophy is changed, the
recipients will be a t a disadvantage.
        My husband has very poor experiences with the VA Hospital system.
EX; he's had Severe debilitating headaches for over 2 months, yet still has
to wait another month for the scheduled CAT Scan, after a Dr. exam noted  an
abnormallity on examining his eye. His blood sugars have been running
dangerously low (checked for the last month, written documentation brought
to the Dr.) and he has to wait until the hospital schedules a glucose
tolerance test. From past experience, lab scheduling can take 1-2 months. All
this for a retired veteran with 90% disability!
        If the government can't successfully treat its military members/
retired, how can they expect to successfully treat the entire country?
        If the Canadian system is so wonderful, why do we read of all the
people coming accross the border to upstate NY for medical treatment?
        WE have friends in Australia who have private insurance because
they don't feel the national insurance is adequate.
        I don't know what the correct answer is. I just listened to a
promotional tape "Dead Doctors Don't Lie", stating the average life expectancy
of a Dr. is 58- much lower than the national average. The recommendation
was to stay away from Dr.s and treat yourselves with vitamin and mineral
supplements! This is a thought!     Lynn in Omaha