is it wrong to rely on government health care?

One of the big debates looming on the horizon is the government health care issue. Numerous presidential candidates spoke of a national health care plan, while some avoided the subject altogether, as if to believe that our system works just fine. Some say it is a nod towards socialism, as if there were no socialist ideas already implemented here in the United States (think public schools, social security, etc).

Most Americans fully expect to receive social security when they qualify for it. Those that don't, suspect that it will be gone by the time they qualify (and I can't say that I blame them for that belief). However, it is also understood that social security alone will not be adequate for the rising cost of health care and our increased need for it as we age. So we take our hard-earned money and invest in supplement plans like medigap to cover costs that aren't picked up by programs like Medicare.

Regardless of whether you believe in the benefits of a little socialism here and there, you can't deny that social security and Medicare (as they exist today) are not adequate, and that it is a shame that anyone in this country (particularly the elderly) should have to live without sufficient medical care. It is also a very disturbing thought when we see how much financial assistance is being poured into countries in the middle east.