the boon and the bane of France’s health care system. It offers a maximum of free choice among skillful doctors and well-equipped hospitals, with little or no waiting, at bargain-basement prices. It’s a system that enables the French to live longer and healthier lives, with zero risk of financial loss due to illness. But somebody has to pay for all that high-quality, ready-when-you-need-it care—and the patients, so far, have not been willing to do so. As a result, the major health insurance funds are all operating at a deficit, and the costs of the health care system are increasing
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