<HTML>   pms wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>Marta Russell-thanks for the healthcare posts unfortuneatly I couldn't jump in then.  I'm sure you know about the Families USA stuff, yes?</BLOCKQUOTE> Yes they are really good on mismanaged care. <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>Biz Wk has a page talking about how the Canadian model, which used to be good, is falling apart. That's their spin, but I don't remember what they were saying in 91-2 when that rumor was very popular.  I do know that a friend of mine just got back from there and she didn't get that impression at all.</BLOCKQUOTE> I met a woman producer who became disabled from an injury who recently went through the Canadian system, rehab and all, and she did not have one compliant but I do think that the austerity forces have been after the Canadian system as they have been after every public system in the world over the past years.  As i understand it, there has been a fight to beat back cuts in services in Canada.  But the Canadians seem overall to be much more aware of the issues while here, Medicaid has been under viscous assault and few seem to take note.  The Gingrichites tried (and still are at it in asundry ways) to cut back populations served by the program. They attempted to drop disabled people, pregnant women and children from groups of people guaranteed medical care.  Now the courts are chipping away at what is "medically necessary." Medicare too has had slices taken out of it.  And, as with Social Security privatization, there is a call from the BS artist Clinton for suggestions as to how to "save Medicare". <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>By the way, this friend, (Nancy Moulton) and her friend, Eleanor Smith once grew an organization called Life Worthy Of Life, which as I recall, grew up around that Larry Macaffee(?) guy who had partitioned the court to die, and because of this he ended up getting the services it took to make him not want to commit suicide.</BLOCKQUOTE> Eleanor Smith is quoted in my book.  That group is wonderful. The latest formation is a group called Not Dead Yet which is after Peter Singer(just appointed to Princeton faculty) and the whole Nazi bioethics thing coming down in this nation. <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>I do know that during the Raygun admin., a deal was struck with their conservative ass-hole which ruined the way their pharmacueticals were handled, greatly raising prices. Something to do with the length exclusive rights. They changed to our way of paying for a lot of the research through the NIH,etc. and then giving the rights to a drug co. for 21years. Only in Amerika.</BLOCKQUOTE> I think that was Taxol, but I'm sure there are hundreds, if not thousands of others.  Didn't Russell Mohkiber in the Corporate Crime Reporter do a study on this??  Nader has definitely been on the case. Marta  </HTML>