"You're a federal republic, so why not have that kind of thing done at a state level?"

Curiously, it has to do with our development as a political state. The most liberal among us are the most against State's Rights and the most in favor of homogeneous States in the name of fairness. And at the same time, it is those who deem "fairness" in those terms that most want our medical care socialized.

That's one of the reasons that I really hope some good conservative minds can enter into the develpment of a better system before it's too late. We will socialize. It's inevitable.   And I'd like some reasonably good business sense in the mix before it's too late.