The Canadian health care system: hope and change
The Canadian health care system is sick, says the new head of the Canadian Medical Association:
Dr. Anne Doig says patients are getting less than optimal care and she adds that physicians from across the country – who will gather in Saskatoon on Sunday for their annual meeting – recognize that changes must be made.
“We all agree that the system is imploding, we all agree that things are more precarious than perhaps Canadians realize,” Doing said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
“We know that there must be change,” she said.
The prescription? Part of the fix would be “a role for private health-care delivery within the public system.”
Fancy that.
Looks like the Canadian health care system, which has benefited from their citizens’ ability to hop down to the states when their own system wasn’t working for them, may now be scrambling for reform in anticipation of losing the U.S. option. Just imagine how angry their citizens will be when they lose the US healthcare option (after it’s been destroyed, er “reformed”, by Congress & Obama). Sort of like Mexico not being as motivated to deal with it’s own economic/employment issues since so many of their citizens can cross the border.
We’ve basically been Canada’s colostomy bag.
Please don’t be offended Canadians. I know most of you come with money to pay for your procedures….
I was just being funny. 🙂
From time to time, Canadians have said that the Canadian health system has gotten a lot of political mileage–and excuses–for simply not being American.
“You want to be like America!?!?!?”
Some will eschew being like America, to their deaths, or, probably more accurately, some politicians thinK some citizens will, willingly.
And some citizens who wouldn’t, think there are some citizens who would–or should be made to.
Does it surprise anyone else that when we look to Canada, Europe, etc. We don’t choose to emulate their good programs (say the Canadian guest worker program or France’s nuclear energy program) rather we choose to attempt to institute things they have tried that don’t work – like nationalized health care?
Is it just me or is every other country starting to realize that socialism is bad for them and trying to reverse course while the US thinks they just didn’t do it the right way and we’ll show ’em differently?
Here is something to do next Friday: rent the French Canadian moive, Barbarian Invasions. It contains an interesting look at Canadian healthcare.
In particular, I like the scene where the nurses union thug blocks a handicaped patient from entering the elevator, and the contrast with the welcome from the American nurse (“welcome to America!”).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Barbarian_Invasions
Given the advances in medicine over the last few decades – driven by America, BTW – no nation in the west really has bad health care. We can do magic, and magic is very expensive.
AVI, our family is right now watching that magic being done for a desperately ill young friend whose life was saved over the weekend by some amazing nurses and doctors, supported by amazing medical knowledge and technology. It is magic indeed and it is worth paying for.
If not for the wonderful medical facilities, doctors, nurses, etc. in this country, I would be dead right now.
As little as ten years ago, even here, I would be dead. Don’t stop the progress. Don’t stop the research. Don’t stop the brightest and most dedicated from doing the things that save peoples’ lives.
Yeah, I’m only more than just a little miffed that anyone would want to change it.
How Obama must hate the Canadians doctors right now for speaking out against their system. Where’s SEIU in Canada when you need silence dissenters?
The main reason the Canadian health care system hasn’t completely collapsed is because we have the option of going to the US when we need it.
Emergency care is pretty good here (Ontario), the rest of it sucks. Thank goodness its “free” (ROFL)
For those who have not yet seen this.Paul Krugman Gets An Unexpected Response Regarding Canadian Health Care . Now that we are opining about Canada, I wonder when our Canadian friend Spragge, who was often ready to enlighten us with his opinions about the US, is going to jump in.
You are wrong. Yes there are problems with the Canadian health care system, but they could be fixed if there were enough political will. Political will is lacking because of pressure from insurance lobbies to let them in for a feeding frenzy.
I’m a Canadian. I have never had to pay a cent to any doctor for my health care. I won’t go bankrupt if I get sick, nor do I have to worry about being denied care because of a pre-exisiting condition. Nor do I have to stay with one job because it has a better insurance plan than the job I would really like to have. In fact, in Yukon, where I live, I don’t even have to pay a monthly premium for health care.
The quality of our health care is excellent. In fact, my mother, an American, had to go to our local hospital while visiting because of phlebitis, and her doctor back home later said that our doctor did an admirable job of caring for her while she was here.
You really don’t know what you’re talking about. Feel free to keep your current so-called health care system in the States, and keep those fat-cat insurance company CEO’s as happy as pigs in you-know-what, while millions of Americans sicken and die because they can’t get coverage.
Ask most Canadians, and they will tell you they wouldn’t swap our system for yours for anything.
Rhonda: your comment misses the fact that I’m not the one commenting on the Canadian health care system here, it’s Dr. Anne Doig, head of the Canadian Medical Association. This entire post is essentially a quote from her.
So take up your quarrel with Dr. Doig. I imagine, however, that she knows quite a bit more about the larger picture of the Canadian health care system than even you do.
My comments were intended to educate the readers of your blog, many of whom apparently believe the many lies and exaggerations about the Canadian health care system.
No health care system is perfect, incuding Canada’s, and obviously there are some Canadians who have legitimate complaints. But even if a Canadian does experience difficulties with his or her health care, as do many Americans even with their private insurance plans, one of the significant differences is that the Canadian doesn’t receive huge medical bills that might precipitate bankruptcy. Nor will any Canadian ever be refused care because of lack of insurance, or a pre-existing condition.
Nor is any Canadian obliged to see a doctor appointed by the government. Nor is the system bankrupting our government. We know that a single-payer health care system works well for us, and we also know it could be better. Many, many polls have shown that the majority of Canadians like our “socialized medicine”, and want to keep it and improve it. Americans should be so lucky.
Rhonda: funny thing, Americans like our system as well.
My personal experience (albeit once removed) with the Canadian system involves chronic pain patients, whom I believe are very poorly served by it.
Oh, and by the way, if your comments were merely meant to “educate” members of my blog, why did they begin with the phrase [emphasis mine] “You are wrong,” and continue with tidbits such as “You really don’t know what you’re talking about”?
And I suppose researchers such as these don’t know what they’re talking about as well.
And this guy? A liar, no doubt:
And there is health care available for Americans who can’t pay—probably more than you’re aware of. See this.
OK, I take it back. My comments were also to educate you, since it seems you have fallen for the lies and exaggerations yourself.
Re the abstract of the article on MRI wait times in Canada, I’m not in a position to critique it, but if wait times for MRI’s is the biggest issue with the Canadian health care system, then I think we’re doing pretty well!
As for the video, it reeks of bias, and I would take it with many pounds of salt. There are other similar cases which have been revealed to have been far less serious than originally touted, e.g. the Shona Holmes case (http://sandwalk.blogspot.com/2009/07/shona-holmes-and-canadian-health-care.html). There are lots of interesting comments and personal experiences on that site as well.
And here is a Snopes article: http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/canada.asp with interesting comments on it here: http://www.propeller.com/story/2009/07/13/snopescom-canadian-health-care/comments/?comment=5116804#comment_5116804.
Sorry, not sure how to make those links clickable.
As for people who feel they didn’t get adequate care within Canada, and had to go elsewhere, if they want to sue the government that’s fine with me. If their claims are real, then the publicity gives Canadians more information and incentive to pressure our government to fix the problems in the system.
And as for the site where Americans without insurance or personal funds can get some medical care, well, I guess that’s better than nothing. It’s just too bad that many of them may never come across that information, or even if they do, still have to make the rounds to see if anyone will help them.
Like I said before, all Canadians are covered. No insurance company interferes with the decisions between us and our doctors, nor does the government. Coverage cannot be denied due to a pre-exisitng condition. We don’t go bankrupt with huge doctor and hospital bills. In provinces where monthly premiums have to be paid, the costs per family are far less than what most Americans pay. If you can’t afford to pay the premium, you still get the same medical care as anyone else. There are flaws in our system, yes, but it’s hard to argue with an 85% overall approval rating.
If Americans are equally happy with their system, and don’t mind an insurance company between them and their doctor, then fine, keep it. I have American relatives who are very happy with their health care coverage, but they have great jobs with great benefits, and are well off to boot. But my sister-in-law, who is a nurse in a big city hospital in the States, has plenty of horror stories to tell about the current American health care system and how inefficient and heartless it can be for those less fortunate. And the pinko, commie, leftist, socialist part of me says that just ain’t right.
Anyway, thanks for letting me post my comments here.