Superbug kills 90 in UK hospitals - CNN.com

Superbug kills 90 in UK hospitals - CNN.com: "nurses at three hospitals run by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS trust were often too busy to wash their hands and left patients in their own excrement."

My SIL died last year. She spent some time in a government-subsidized nursing home. She was returned to the hospital after she suffered a serious infection at the nursing home. The nursing home staff ignored her concerns, failed to clean up her projectile vomit, and, very probably, directly caused her infection.

Government-run health care is not the panacea that Californians think it is.

"Many medical tourists from the United States are seeking treatment at a quarter or sometimes even a 10th of the cost at home. From Canada, it is often people who are frustrated by long waiting times. From Great Britain, the patient can't wait for treatment by the National Health Service but also can't afford to see a physician in private practice. "

Why, when foreign nations have already proven that nationalized health care works no better than our own private health care, do Americans want to hand their health over to the same people who brought us $200 hammers? Penny-wise, pound foolish?

Yes, American health care is out of whack. No, costs should not be growing faster than true inflation (as opposed to the government's monkey'ed inflation figures). Yes, Americans are asking insurance companies to reimburse ever more care (I remember, just 10 years ago, when health insurance was truly insurance, and did not cover general maintenance costs - we actually had to pay out-of-pocket for preventive maintenance, just like we do on our cars). Yes, doctors pay ridiculous rates for malpractice insurance. Yes, patients are getting hosed.