health policy history knows costs were rising steadily and out of reach for much of the middle class and if you were poor, forget it. People were sick. People were dying. And some people couldn't get treatment and couldn't afford treatment even if it was available.

Here's an excerpt from a speech by Morris Fishbein arguing for socialized medicine in 1928 before the American Medical Association:

For some time the statement has been made that only two groups of persons can afford to be ill, the wealthy and the very poor. The former are able to pay for what they get and the latter get a rather good type of service without charge.

The group that gives the greatest concern to students of the situation is the middle class. This group has been the victim of exploitation since the earliest times. It exists in one-room kitchenettes in the cities and must perforce go to the hospital in times of sickness. In the country and in the villages it is far removed from the available hospitals and pays mileage charges in addition to medical fees for medical attention. Because of its transient character it has fallen out of touch with the old-time family physician.

1928 is a little bit before Ron Paul's time practicing medicine, but it's not too far removed from when he was growing up. Whatever his specific experience might have been, it's not representative of the people's situation as a whole.

It would be very nice if a debate moderator or a talking head would actually stop for a minute and push him on this point. He gets away with it because no one takes him seriously, but it's a dangerous and untrue thing to be saying on the national stage.