[manasecret]

I'm glad I got one response before the bot came in.

But that's ok if I get no responses. I just think this is important information to get out there. I know for a fact that much of these myths are perpetuated as arguments against healthcare reform. I'm glad someone finally answered the questions I had (and I assume others had) whether they are correct or incorrect assumptions.

For example, I hear a lot of arguments that socialized healthcare must equal long wait times. That's apparently not necessarily true. Same thing with the statement that if the government has a large base that it insures it can then throw its weight around against the medical industry to reduce prices, which will then stifle innovation. Again, this apparently is not necessarily true, and in fact can produce quite the opposite (Japan).

While they may not all apply directly to the U.S. because of several different factors as Bond mentioned, to put them forth as arguments against healthcare saying that socialized healthcare must = long wait times, socialized healthcare must = less innovative healthcare, are simply not valid arguments.