The Canadian Health Care thread (Israel, Mexican, Obama, crime)

[idahogie]

Originally Posted by roysoldboy

Do you ever stop to think that the population of the US is considerably larger than that of Canada? More people, more problems etc How many Canadian doctors now practice in the US because of their system? More than you think, I am sure.

That's my point. We have rationing of care here in this country, too. Just as in Canada. So the OP pointing to one case in Canada is entirely unpersuasive - and is just meant to sew FUD.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by sanrene

You're going to see more of your example in the future with obamacare. Bureaucrats and bean counters making life and death decisions.

The point of the story; Shortages - one bed could not be scrounged up in the province of Ontario.

Now, no one can accuse "The Economist" of being a left-wing rag. Here is a story from their latest issue:

Reforming American health care: Heading for the emergency room | The Economist

"Three troubling symptoms stand out: uneven quality of care, inadequate coverage and soaring costs.

In a paper in the Journal of Economic Perspectives last year he and Alan Garber, of Stanford University, argued that America’s health system was “uniquely inefficient”, producing too little per unit of input and consuming far too much of the country’s resources."

That's putting it in plain economic terms. You can come up with your horror stories if you wish, but the system is in desperate need of change.

[OhBeeHave]

CTV.ca | Fewer Canadians have doctors, StatsCan finds

Interesting article dated yesterday. Please be sure to read the reader comments at the very end.

[ndfmnlf]

The Republican mantra is: it is okay to deny medical care as long as it is the insurance companies that do it.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Now, no one can accuse "The Economist" of being a left-wing rag. Here is a story from their latest issue:

Reforming American health care: Heading for the emergency room | The Economist

"Three troubling symptoms stand out: uneven quality of care, inadequate coverage and soaring costs.

In a paper in the Journal of Economic Perspectives last year he and Alan Garber, of Stanford University, argued that America’s health system was “uniquely inefficient”, producing too little per unit of input and consuming far too much of the country’s resources."

That's putting it in plain economic terms. You can come up with your horror stories if you wish, but the system is in desperate need of change.

I agree the system is a horror but reworking insurance so it's cheaper and more affordable for more people will just make it worse.

[Visvaldis]

Originally Posted by idahogie

The US supposedly has the finest health care in the world, yet for every horror story you can find from Canada, there are a hundred here in the US.

Individual cases are not persuasive. But the fear-mongers on the right have nothing else, so that's what they do. And the stupider wingnuts fall for that logic.

Shhhhh!
Not so loud, someone might hear you!

[Katarina Witt]

^^^You should read the article (if you already haven't). I really liked seeing that in economic terms: "Producing too little per unit of input". It's what a lot of us "libs" have been saying for a long time: too much administrative cost.

[ndfmnlf]

I have very little sympathy for insurance companies. Their business model seems to be to collect as much premiums as they can and pay for as little care as possible. That's how they are profitable. But they add very little value to the system. They don't innovate new drugs, medical devices, or other treatments that advance the quality of health care. At least pharma companies invent drugs that actually save lives (properly used, that is). They create new products and push the frontier of scientific knowledge. But insurance companies?

[JDTD2.0]

Has anyone seen the 20/20 show on Canadian Health Care? Even a lot of their doctors say it's f-ed up, many people can't find a regular doctor, the "waiting lists" are so long that they actually hold drawings to see who gets to see a doctor, people who have had heart attacks have to wait for a spot in ICU and might get in if they are lucky, etc., etc., etc. But hey... maybe it was just all part of some vast right-wing conspiracy?

You might find it on Youtube or something.

[HappyTexan]

I thought I saw a number of posts saying how good it was (Canada health care) and how happy a few posters were with it.

Or maybe it was UK healthcare ??

Can't remember what thread it was in though.