Even those who don't expect to pay aren't buying

Through the end of October, 1.2 million have signed up through the exchanges, both federal and state. Of these, 800,000 are in Medicaid (or CHIPS), the free overage for those with incomes of up to 133% of the poverty level. (Income is your own earned income, not including rent subsidies, food stamps, and other welfare payments.) Understandably, people who don't have to pay are more enthusiastic than those who do, but even the non-payers are lukewarm. Bottom line: this service has been rejected by paying customers, at least so far.

There is something fundamentally wrong with our US health system, both pre- and post-Obamacare. I don't understand why health care costs so much here. I have lived in England, France and Singapore. In England and France the care is good and costs society half what it costs here, as a percent of GDP. In Singapore,where the health care is the best I have experienced, the cost is one-fifth the US costs. It's puzzling.

Here is the story in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/16/opinion/medicaid-outpaces-private-plans.html?smid=pl-share