Under the health care plans endorsed by both democratic candidates we would NOT have had ANY choice in surgeon; whoever was up & free would be the cutter.

The original intent of the question was: I was musing at what effect his treatment & ability to choose hospital & surgeon would have on BOTH proponents and adversaries of the Nation Health Care Plan proposed by the democratic candidates. Here we have someone (does not matter who) that got to CHOOSE both his hospital and surgeon. Those choices are not allowed in the Plan.

My intent was not to go into the Plan but to see if Kennedy's treatment would be fodder for the 'talking heads' on both sides of the issue.