I was going to post a blistering riposte to an amazingly lousy article in the NYTimes (registration required), but Matt Holt beat me to it.

The Times article says words to the effect that the reason health care costs so much is because it makes us live longer. Boy is that misinformed, superficial, ineptly researched, and just plain wrong.

Health care costs so much in the US because prices are high and practice pattern variation prevails and there are too many uninsured and cost-shifting is rampant and Congress and the White House would rather grand stand about Terry Schiavo than address real problems.

Good work Matt.