[JWsleep]

I agree with you both, Schneed and Firstdown--these are serious problems that moving to single-payer system would create. On the administrative issues, however, there is some savings to be made by somehow streamlining billing and such into a single, standard format, as opposed to many competing formats. But you then often lose information--like in the English system, at least as it's sometimes represented.

As for Docs wanting lots of money--given the enormous amount of schooling, the incredible need for their services, and the importance of what they do, they should be well-compensated, no doubt. And in places where they are not, you get doctor shortages--a real worry. So it's gonna cost to keep our quality up. We need to find a balance, and (this is part of the problem), we are going to need to RAISE TAXES to pay for this sort of thing. No free lunch. I'm for taxing the top-teir and cutting things like corporate tax breaks and subsidies (especially on farming--that's just a payout to ADM and other HUGE argi-businesses, not mom and pop farmers, if there are any left!). But that is political trouble.

I agree: Medicine is complicated, and not just for doctors!