I lived in Ireland for two years in the early 1980's. Ireland has socialized medicine. I had to see a doctor on several occaitons a dendist twice. I also had to go to an emergency room, because I thought that I had broken a rib. In every case I did not have to wait to see the doctor or dentist. I has excellent care and the cost of the doctor & dentist visit was about $3.00. My perscription drugs that were prescribed by the doctor was about 400% less that it would have cost in the United States. Socialized medicine does work and it is the lobbyists who are working for the insurance companies drug companies and the meical industries, and the AMA that is blocking progress towards a single payer plan! I never had to wait for any health care and on one occation, a doctor stopped at my home to make sure that I was improving from my illness. Socialized medicine does work. I am a social worker and I run into people all of the time who cannot afford healthcare insurance and many doctors, dentists and optomitrists will not even see them because they do not have insurance.