‪In England if you need health care you go to a GP who will arrange a specialist visit if needed; that makes good sense.

In the US we called this process “gatekeepers,” patients fought the effort as a waste of money & blamed insurers for wasting their time and lowering the quality of care.

After all, we American patients know best what care we need and from whom don’t we?

Now politicians promise open and unlimited access to doctors with no cost sharing whatsoever and they promise to save money in the process.

Let’s apply a little logic to all this.

1. You cannot apply the standards, processes or health status of people in other countries to the US without consequences

2. There is considerable risk in providing open-ended access to any and all health care, especially when making it appear the care is “free”