22 Jan 2007 On Government Health Care: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Our David Hogberg has reviewed a New York Times column on universal health care and — surprise — found it wanting.

An excerpt:

[Paul Krugman says],

Some say that we can’t afford universal health care, even though every year lack of insurance plunges millions of Americans into severe financial distress and sends thousands to an early grave. But every other advanced country somehow manages to provide all its citizens with essential care. [Italics mine.]

They do? Krugman could try telling that to the 50 Canadians who once lived in southern Ontario and were on a waiting list to receive a cardiac catheterization, but they are now dead. Maybe he could tell it to the 59 other Canadians on that waiting list who suffered a serious heart attack. Or perhaps he could tell that to the families of the nearly 15,000 victims of a French heat wave in August 2003 who died in part due to an overburdened and unprepared health care system. Or perhaps it just depends on Krugman’s definition of “essential care.”

Dead men tell no tales, eh Mr. Krugman?

Addendum, 1/23/07: Duane Hershberger of The Other Club writes to say:

Actually, Canada is but one example.Mr. Krugman apparently has overlooked the fine health care provided to Fidel Castro. Fidel has to have received the finest free health care available. Imagine how well this works for the common man in Cuba. Of course, this would not be any big deal except for the refrain we hear from the far left about how good health care is in Cuba.