Universal Healthcare?

The idea of universal healthcare sounds appealing but it also gives me second thoughts. All good things come with a price tag. Question is how much.

Intuitively, here are some thoughts:

1. To give coverage to the millions who are not covered now and holding constant healthcare resources such as physicians, nurses, hospitals, ER etc., what gives? Rationing, long wait?

2. A government backed option plan that is cheaper than private insurance may lead to mass exodus to the government plan. The trillions that is set aside for this program may run out of money in a hurry. (flashback: cash for clunker program running out of steam in a week instead of lasting till November and a mad dash to fund additional $2 billion followed ...)

3. The government plan requires no co-pay from the patient. Does this increase the demand for doctors? Besides the long wait to see a physician, does the quality of physician-patient relationship suffer?

4. If healthcare is rationed, who dictates who gets what and when? Do you still have a say on what treatment is best for you?

5. To cut cost, it seems natural to think that certain expensive procedures and/or expensive medications will not be available to everyone. Who decides?

6. If the healthcare plan is so good, why aren't members of Congress covered by it?

Universal healthcare is a big deal and I am just a little me, so I only have questions and no answers. But seems to me, controlling cost, malpractice suits etc should be in the equation. What say you?