BTW: It's not "National Health Care"

It's "National Health Insurance".

Big difference that the CONs try to confuse the issue with.

Clinton labeled his effort as "Health Care Reform" which allowed the insurance industry to make the Harry and Louise ads implying that delivery of services would be changed, bureacrats would make medical decisions, people could not choose their doctors, etc.
Health INSURANCE Reform. (Thank you)

bringing universal coverage to american citizens (read - those that profit under the current system) is going to spin and propagandize ANYTHING, regardless of the verbiage or the specifics of the multiple ideas that are out there.

I think it's more important to frame the issue first - health care is a RIGHT - and then discuss the positves and negatives of each plan brought forth to address this right.

I agree that people should not be denied care under any circumstances, but the crux of the issue has generally been how to pay for it.

Of course, the health care industry is so bloated and inefficient right now that a government-subsidized system could only be an improvement from a cost perspective.

The VA hospitals is as good as any private hospital and are efficient.

is to prevent us from enacting a meaningful healthcare entitlement.

That depends on where you go. There are some good VA hospitals, but....a great deal of care provided by military and VA hospitals is unfortunately substandard.

My dh is a physician who did residency/fellowship as a civilian and his experiences in the VAs attached to the university hospitals often made him cringe. My mom is retired military who was in vietnam...and...she is assessed charges for her care based on her income. Because she doesn't live below the poverty line she pays enough that she doesn't use va services anymore...why would she when she can get better care at a private hospital and pay less...

Our veterans and military people really get the short end of the stick. Not all VA and military facilities are bad, of course...but the overwhelming impressions that we have heard are not positive. Most retired military know the 'good' and 'bad' VAs..