New Yorker health plan

There is an excellent piece in the New Yorker on two Texas hospitals, in similar towns, with similar health. One hospital bills twice the other, since the doctor's are over-prescribing and over-treating in the expensive hospital. Obama thinks this is the big deal and this article reflects a lot of what the hew health plan may have in it.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_gawande?yrail

My own rebuttals:
1. Medicare is at present about twice as much per procedure as private medicine. The real expense comes when doctors get paid by over-treating under Medicare and Medicaid.
2. Who should prevent me from spending my own money or a luxury insurance policy if I want hi-tech and complete care?
3. The article implies that the new medicine is not much use. The small benefits are counteracted by the risks of additional procedures. This lie is almost criminal.
4. The author claims that malpractice insurance is not an important factor is playing it safe with extra tests, and this is also a lie.
5. The article suggests that government should interfere with medical decisions when it is exactly that government interference that has caused so much trouble.