But just as there is more than one way to skin a cat, there turn out to be two ways to avoid a bat.

ECONOMIST: Listening for trouble

There are smart ways and dumb ways to do this: the dumb way is to raise rates in a broken, grossly complex tax system, choking off growth without bringing in the revenues we need to meet our debts.

FORBES: Obama's Slam Dunk Off Of A Pick Set By Mitch Daniels

"The classic way is to put a notice in a leading national newspaper but there are many other ways of doing it which are often better, " he said.

BBC: Cooker defect leads to eight deaths

Another problem is the way private insurers try to risk-select, in umpteen subtle ways, even when there is a risk-adjustment system to make that less inviting.

ECONOMIST: The Americas shift toward private health care

Now, whether we do it exactly the way European countries do or Canada does is a different question, because there are a variety of ways to get to universal health care coverage.

WHITEHOUSE: Online Town Hall