I guess the point of my last post is that the cost of Medicare is probably what currently drives the decision not to change the 24 month waiting period.

Universal health care is an option, but there will be a cost for that as well. One of the things that makes America great (IMO) is that we can all have different opinions about how to run the country. I think the hardest part is deciding how to redistribute the wealth of the citizens. If you are a person that because of either good luck or hard work or a combination, you have the ability to earn a big living, how much of your money should be taken by the government and given to those less fortunate? When you are on the bottom, because of bad luck or bad decision making or a combination, why should you have to struggle so much to lead a comfortable life when other people don't have to?

Pure capitalism is heartless. Pure socialism rewards slackers and brings us all down. The hard question is where to draw the line. I think the U.S. will ALWAYS struggle with this divisive issue.