Please consider this the second post dedicated to analyzing a specific health care myth in an ongoing series. The intent of this post is address the myth that we here in America should not look overseas to learn about meaningful and effective health reform. From accusing any foreign health system of being socialist or of rationing health care or even claiming that we have the best health care system in the world. The comparative focus of this post is on a single foreign system that generally fails to get significant attention – Japan. Now, by absolutely no means is the Japanese health system perfect, far from it. However, given the public bugaboo that is “socialized medicine” and the nature of our employer sponsored health care Japan presents an interesting study in how a private-employer based health care system can run efficiently and cut costs.

A lesson in politics. The Kucinich Prediction: Here's what's going to happen ... The House will make a big deal about keeping/putting a public option in HR3200 because it competes with insurance companies and will keep insurance rates low. The bill will pass, not with a "public option" but with a private mandate requiring 30 million uninsured to buy private health insurance. This legislative sausage will be celebrated as a new breakthrough and will be packaged as health insurance reform. However, the bill may require a Surgeon General's warning label: Your Money or Your Life!

How can we be so concerned about our own health care while we choose to deny others of having an option? These “others” amount to nearly 46 million Americans who do not have health insurance. Of these, 45,000 die each year because of their lack of health insurance.