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1. Though malpractice coverage and defensive medicine is an issue in rising healthcare costs, it is not a significant one. According to Arnold Relman in his excellent book "A Second Opinion" malpractice represents about 7 billion in costs. Defensive medicine has been estimated at 80 billion tops. Out of the 2 trillion in U.S. healthcare costs, the largest in the world, but still leaving the U.S. 37th in the world, this issue can only be seen as a pimple on the behind. 2. I don't think healthcare should be linked to employment either, that's why I'm for reform. But the "individual" will never be able to be in charge of their own insurance. The insurance companies are in charge of insurance, and they don't make money insuring people who need healthcare. The insurance co's business model is to take in as much in premiums as possible and to deny as much healthcare as they can. Their wonderful term for healthcare is "medical loss". 3, 4. Doctors should not be "competing". Good healthcare is integrative, such as uniform, doctor accessible records. Healthcare is not a traditional "marketplace" Sick people are not able to go around kicking tires. All so-called "consumer driven" healthcare ideas come out of business schools, not from MD's. Medicine is complex and needs professional practitioners making informed decisions. Of course paitents should be as informed as possible, but no way are you going to make all medical knowledge available to the public on Burma-Shave signs. The last thing we need is more damn TV commercials peddling prescription drugs. 5. As another commenter pointed out, you've completely contradicted yourself on this one. Are you for universal coverage then? Great! Except, your other 4 points lead in the opposite direction.