Affordable health care should be available to everybody.
I am a conservative, but in the U.S. the leaders of both parties, but especially the Republican leadership, stands in the way of reform.

The plan voted in by the Democrats did little (nothing) to simplify health care, but it did provide a little more for the poor who lack insurance and the means to pay for it.

Reduction of costs and overall applicability requires cooperation of insurance, hospital and clinic, pharmaceutical, university and private research institutions, medical education, governmental taxation bodies and all other institutions involved. (And public education as well).

Canada has medicare programs, but they vary from province to province and are inadequate to help the consumer who requires expensive treatments and/or drugs. Some treatments are not covered uniformly from province to province, or are not covered that are covered in the U.S., UK and Scandinavia. The programs do cover the general needs of the general public, but I think most provinces, like Alberta, charge the average health care enrollee some $1000 or more in addition to what is taken in provincial taxes.

Alberta has a shortage of hospital facilities and specialists, and waits for specialists can be long and frustrating and ultimately may come too late for best prognosis. Most doctors will not accept new patients, leaving families scrambling to get a new doctor if their physician retires or moves on.

Some of you may think a Canadian has no business commenting on the U.S. problems, but many Canadians, if they have the resources, use U.S. specialized medical institutions for serious problems. Similarly, we see Americans coming to Canada for laser eye surgery and laser cosmetic surgery.

Moreover, drug costs for Canadians depend largely on medications from U.S. or companies abroad. The two countries have interwoven costs.

It is difficult for an individual to understand the complexities involved in reducing the costs of medical care.