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> but less so than brutal waste pulled out of your paycheck or taxes.

Are you suggesting that universal systems are more wasteful? Wouldn't that imply that a simple natural experiment of total healthcare spending vs average health outcomes should show a benefit to private over universal/tax funded?

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In the US a lot of tax dollars are wasted on healthcare. A lot more would be wasted if we tried some kind of universal health care in the US.

It seems to me that a lot of waste in this area is tax dollars paying for commercial prices. The US has some truly insane baseline costs in healthcare. Having the state pay for them, or having the state provide an insurer, only kicks the ball into someone else's court.

Figure out why a hospital can charge you $25 for an aspirin, and start there. If you just let the state pay that $25, yes your taxes are being wasted.

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