"the tax rate was over 16% on everything I bought. "

I pay 20% of the costs of my health insurance. That 20% comes out of my paycheck--my employer plays the rest. That 20%, last time I checked, costs me over $1500 a year (this is not for a family policy--just for me). If they taxed me 16% on everything I bought it wouldn't cost me much more than that, and since my employer would not be paying the other 80%, I'd probably have larger salary increases to cover it!

I would encourage everyone to see Sicko. It is Moore's most balanced and accessible movie. Just listen to the stories of people in there, including many who have worked for insurance companies and know accrately how the business of denyong the claims of others works. People are dying in our country, even people who HAVE insurance (in fact, that's who he focuses on, not people like Petey who didn't have any coverage) because instead of treating medical care like having pilcemen and firemen we treat it as a for-profit business.

Nelie