The VA was once held up as an example of what government provided healthcare could be. And it probably is a good example. So Obamacare proponents are probably going to double down on fixing the VA problems, although the doctor shortage will be a little bit harder to cure than a shortage of gurneys. (Psst. Ask a Medicare patient about doctor shortages.)
Mark Steyn made the prediction years ago that under a U.S. government healthcare plan citizens would fare no better than they do under the British healthcare plan. The BBC would report on some outrageous outcome directly attributable to accidental or deliberate neglect. The people would react appropriately. But the furor would subside, and then the BBC would provide news reports featuring people who had favorable outcomes and very flattering things to say about the healthcare system. And the underlying problems aren't fixed. Mr. Steyn said we in the U.S. should anticipate that same thing here.
If he's right, expect to see the msm reporting in the near future about instances in which the VA did an absolutely fantastic job on a patient. We will be expected to judge them by what they did right, not by what they did wrong.
Meanwhile, one of the lessons Obamacare proponents have learned from the VA affair is that they need to be careful about hiding unfavorable numbers. But they already knew that.
Related: Daniel J. Mitchell says some similar things only better at Unofficial Death Panels at the VA Show Where Obamacare Will Lead.
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