A recent NY Times article helpfully explains the facts behind some misleading statistics concerning health care, particularly:

• “The United States has lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality than Canada, which has national health insurance.”
• “Some 47 million Americans do not have health insurance.”
• “Health costs are eating up an ever increasing share of American incomes.”

  The author concludes by saying that, “As we look at reform plans, we should be careful not to be fooled by statistics into thinking that the problems we face are worse than they really are.”

  That’s true, but it does not go far enough. Neither gloomy statistics nor scary anecdotes could ever justify violating the rights of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, as well as insurance companies, patients, and taxpayers. The government should protect everyone’s rights to property and contract — not violate them with burdensome entitlements, regulations, and taxation. That’s the only possible solution to the problems in today’s health care system.