Richard Eskow says all that needs to be said:
Waiting times in the countries [Cato types] cite are sometimes acceptable and sometimes excessive. Waiting lists can be a form of rationing, but it's far more humane than denial of treatment through systematic exclusion from most of the health system (which is what lack of coverage means). And while the authors observe that some people on waiting lists are in chronic pain, they fail to note that few if any universal coverage advocates believe that is anything other than a flaw that needs to be corrected.[...]
And let's not forget that a study by the National Academies' Institute of Medicine (warning: pdf) estimates that at least 18,000 people die each year from inadequate health coverage. That’s the the equivalent of thirty World Trade Center bombings in the years since 9/11.
It's fascinating how much more concerned conservative types are with a Canadian who had to wait 3 months for a hip replacement than with the 18,000 Americans who die each year because they lack access to quality medical care.
