Buried (in the method by which hospitals set fees) is this array of cross-subsidies that lets our health-care system train young doctors, conduct research and care for the uninsured.

Tax deductions do little or nothing for those people who are uninsured and devastated by high health care costs. Most uninsured are in the zero or 10 percent tax bracket, so tax deductions do little or nothing for them.

Consumers are smart enough to know that they don't 'drive' health care when it comes to treating a premature baby, cancer in a spouse or a child's broken bones.

So, we've been here before. This will get better and the system will shake out.

But here you have people in Part D signing up beginning on Nov. 15th for a program that starts Jan. 1 -- with some people even signing up Dec. 31st. And you expect them to get a prescription by January 2nd? It just won't work.

We hope the trend continues. It's good for consumers.