U.s. Needs Health-care System Like Canada's  December 12, 1999
If U.S. health care is the best in the world, as the writer of a
Nov. 22 letter claims, then the American people should be the
healthiest in the world, right? Wrong!  The U.S. is behind
Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Italy and Sweden in two basic
measurements of health care -- the number of babies per 1,000
who die before their first year (infant mortality) and the life
expectancy for both men and women. Each one of these countries
that surpasses the U.S. has a national health program. In fact,
every industrialized country in the world except the U.S. has a
national health program.  Of course, it is true, as the letter
writer says, that the U.S. has the best health care program in
the world, but only if (a) you're a millionaire, or (b) you are
healthy or are 100 percent covered by insurance.  In countries
like Canada, everyone is covered for doctor visits,
hospitalization and prescriptions. The services are either free
or require a nominal fee th