The conservative nanny state crew, the folks who don't want private insurers to be forced to compete on a level playing field with a government-run health insurance program, will still lose in the long-run. The problem is medical tourism. Expensive operations can be performed in countries like India and Thailand for a fraction of the U.S. price, and often with the same safety. As we know, you can't seal borders. If health care is unaffordable in the U.S., then people will go to where it is affordable. The Financial Times has a good piece on the possibilities today. The protectionists are doomed -- especially once the public discovers the "free trader" pundits are shilling for the worst protectionists on the planet.
--Dean Baker
