Bloomberg has the latest on the proposed Democrat “hope and change” coming down the pike:

June 12 (Bloomberg) — Health-care overhaul legislation being drafted by House Democrats will include $600 billion in tax increases and $400 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel said.

Now as Ed Morrissey points out, when President Bush tried to tackle the issue, he was demonized by the Democrats.  Writes Ed:

When George Bush tried to tackle escalating Medicare and Medicaid costs and a looming entitlement catastrophe with modest funding cuts in both terms in office, Democrats screeched about seniors losing health care and pronounced Bush’s efforts dead on arrival on Capitol Hill. Now, with Barack Obama in the White House, Democrats have suddenly gone mute as the administration proposes to cut hundreds of billions from both programs.

And here’s a video flashback via Hot Air:

Of course I’m guessing the strategy is cutting the benefits in order to make way for all that “free” health-care coming our way, right?  But Investors Business Daily notes that the AMA is finally kicking into gear on the issue:

Health Care: With much of Washington determined to push the country into a government-run medical plan, there’s not been much good news lately on this front. One bright spot, though, has emerged this week.

The largest group of doctors in the country has made it clear that it is not comfortable with legislation that would twist the country’s health care system into a Euro-style scheme that “threatens to restrict patient choice.”

Now as someone who avoids the medical system that I love and brag about as much as possible, I found myself in need of a trip to the ER last weekend.  I was pretty sure the nauseating, paralyzing pain was a kidney stone.  It’ll pass, I thought.  But Mom said I must go see the good folks at MMC and make sure.  

And so our very own Methodist Medical Center and their very fine staff gave me the most wonderful service in the world.  It was as enjoyable as a trip to the ER could possibly be.  Doctor Awesome told me that he thought I was right about the stone but they wanted to make sure. So they did all the necessary tests, including blood work and a CT.  And guess what?  No waiting lists for the CT scan.  No “hey girl, come back in 4 weeks to see if it really is a kidney stone.”  No, right here in the good ole’ US of A,  right here in Oak Ridge, Tennessee I had my scan in an instant.  And because the radiologist had gone home for the evening, a good Doctor in California read my results.  Yep, “6 mm”, he said.

And so the Doctor and I and my family all made a decision on the best course of action and in just a touch over 2 hours from sign in to sign out, I was on my way and ready for work the next morning.

Now I encourage you to think about all the tests I needed being available at a moments notice.  And then watch this video.  And if you have time, watch the next one as well.  ”Free” isn’t all they claim it to be.