British National Health System

Among the 30 plus nations in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, only Turkey, Mexico and the United States do not provide government-run universal health care.

This week, the health care debate journeyed through the looking glass. Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance committee, embraced the death panel myth, telling a crowd in his home state that they were correct to be worried about the government deciding to "pull the plug on grandma." Noted medical expert Chuck Norris also weighed in, sounding the alarm about "government agents coming into your home and telling you how to parent your children" and encouraging abortions. And Investors Business Daily claimed that physically disabled scientist Stephen Hawking would have had his life cut short by the government-run British health care system if he lived in England. Which, in fact, he does. And always has. Who needs details when there are town hall discussions to disrupt -- or bring a gun to?

Last Friday I learned what it was like to be part of a civilized, first world health system. I was in England, staying at my godmother's house, when I got slammed by one of my chronic migraines.