[Preechr]

Wal-mart's low prices have put more money in the pockets of America's poor than have the combined efforts of our welfare and Social Security systems. I am not factoring in for the low wages and poor benefits they "provide" for their employees when I say that, neither am I cutting the numbers on accounting for the "devastation" it's wreaked on Main Street, USA. Decisions to work for Wal-mart and those to compete with them are products of choice.

I am factoring in for the stabilization in inflation and lower transportation costs it is responsible for. Wal-mart's low prices go WAY beyond the shelf prices on groceries and durable goods.

If there's to be any effect on insurance companies, it will be a positive one. Health insurance companies have painted themselves into a corner, offering customers far more than was ever possible or allowed by the concept of indemnity. Insurance was only ever supposed to be concerned with ACCIDENTAL financial loss, and only to the point of indemity (the exact financial point at which the accidental loss occurred.) 9/10ths of prescription drug costs and over half of all other medical costs have nothing to do with anything accidental.

I'm not saying you don't need your drugs, or that you shouldn't take full advantage of your health insurance policy, glowbelly. Go to Wal-mart and pay the $4 and know you are doing a very good thing. This is a helluva lot better a thing than the idea of importing drugs from Canada. The ~$11 you are saving is gonna translate into $20 your insurance company can save, which will hopefully translate into more R&D for newer, better drugs for your kid one day.