Jeff Hoard wrote recently about how fortunate he was that when he broke his arm as a kid, he broke it in Canada, where socialized medicine is in place, rather than in the U.S. We hope that Jeff doesn't encounter any serious medical problems, so he can remain content in his "workers' paradise."
Canadian Lindsay McCreith is not content. As David Gratzer, a health care expert and practicing physician licensed in Canada and the U.S., reports, McCreith was required to wait for four months just to get an MRI, and then months more to see a neurologist for his malignant brain tumor. Frustrated and ill, he traveled to Buffalo, N.Y. for a lifesaving surgery. Now he's suing for the right to opt out of Canada's government-run health care, which he considers dangerous to his health.
According to Gratzer, McCreith's experience is sufficiently typical that Canadians are increasingly looking to market-based approaches to health care. Canadian doctors, disgruntled by the health care system, elected Brian Day, a leading critic of Candian medicare, to be president of their national association. Dr. Day opened a private surgery hospital and challenged the government to shut it down. He explained that Canada "is a country in which dogs can get a hip replacement in under a week and in which humans can wait two to three years."
Gratzner shows that European countries such as Britain, Sweden, and Germany are also experimenting with privatization of their health care delivery system. Before the U.S. plunges headlong into socialized medicine, we would do well to study the experiences of Canada and Western Europe. And by study, I don't mean watching a movie by a dishonest propagandist.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Um, I hate to debunk the entire point of your article, but McCreith's experience is hardly "sufficiently typical" of Canadian experiences with government health care. By and large, our system is excellent. I agree that there are long waiting lists for a few surgeries, but the government has made it a priority to address this. For the vast majority of ailments, you can get treated right away, or within a few weeks. I've had nothing but good experiences with our health care system for over 30 years.
Furthermore, from what I understand most Canadians are STRONGLY AGAINST privatization of health care Even in the largely conservative province of Alberta, 70% of poll respondents were against privatization [see below], and opposition is higher in the rest of the country).
[Klein faced resistance both within Alberta and nationally to his plans to open the health-care system to greater privatization. His so-called Third Way, which would have allowed doctors to work in both the public and private system, has withered away. A poll last spring found that more than 70 per cent of Albertans had concerns about the Klein scheme. Source: The Calgary Herald, Nov, 2006]
This is not to say that the Canadian system is perfect. There is always room for improvement. But 'medicare', as most Canadians call it, is the sacred cow of government programs in Canada. No government would ever try to dismantle it, nor should they. In fact, Tommy Douglas, the 'father of medicare' was recently voted the 'Greatest Canadian' in a nationwide poll done by the CBC. That demonstrates, at least in part, the strong attachment Canadians have to our system.
Hopefully the waiting times will improve in the near future. If not, there's always election time.
Duke at 12:41PM on Jun 28th 2007
2. Canadians have free medical care. Good for them, I'm sure they are getting what they are paying for.
I know Canada has a guest worker program, do these workers get a piece of the free meds? How about people with dual citizenship.....free meds? If this is the case, it might not be a bad idea for Amercians wanting free medical care to go up there and apply for Canadian citizenship.
I know of a few Canadians that have dual citizenship(Canadian and US). Maybe that's why. Work here in the US and then go to Canada for medical care? Not bad, I like it.
Willet at 12:23AM on Jul 1st 2007
3. WHO GIVES A RATS ASS..I WORKED FOR MY INS. AND NOW I AM RETIRED. I USE IT WHEN I NEED TO. FOR ALL YOU OUT THERE GET A JOB THAT YOU LIKE THAT HAS GOOD BENIFITS. PERIOD..I HAD TO WORK FOR 30 YEARS AT THE SAME JOB TO GET MINE. SO GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND GET A JOB THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. DONT DEPEND ON THE GOVT. TO GIVE YOU ANYTHING.
UNLESS YOU ARE FROM SOUTH OF THE BORDER....THEN THEY WILL GIVE YOU THE WORLD....
kachina321 at 12:56AM on Jul 4th 2007
4. mike was right.
TOM at 5:37PM on Jul 10th 2007
5.
Congratulations:
A terrorist Doctor is coming to a clinic near you:
IN THE UK, they have 90,000 FOREIGN Doctors: NO intelligent person in the UK is willing to spend several hundred thousand dollars becoming a MEDICAL specialist to get paid a Janitor's wage:
SO GB has to HIRE TERRORIST DOCTORS
in their SOCALIZIED MED care Plan:
THE DEMOCRATS in the USA destroyed our awesome Educational system by allowing d and c students to become teachers for life in the UNION can't fire a teacher for molesting kids PLAN
SO THE USA awesome incredible Medical care advancements will crash and burn:
NOT A CHANCE that anyone with a brain will waste
$200,000 and 12 years to go into MED and be paid
a Janitor's wage:
WHY IS IT THAT the KINGS and Ultra rich from around the WORLD come to America for medical care
and do NOT go to Canada or any other COMMUNIST
socialized health care STATE:
PLUS in all countries where the communists control how much medical care you can receive: HOW DO YOU KNOW you are receiving the maximum care possible:
YOU DO NOT GET TRIPLE BY PASS surgery in any of those SOCIALIST controlled countries, IN THE USA you can have one every other day if you need it:
PLUS the Socialists are taxed for their HEATH CARE
the MONEY DOES NOT GROW ON TREES:
SO FREE IS NOT FREE:
letty Bromenschenkel at 5:43PM on Jul 10th 2007
6. NOT ONE PERSON from any other country
TRAVELS to CANADA for HEALTH CARE
HOWEVER,
MILLIONS of Canadians come to America for life saving Medical care;
FREE does not mean the money for Socialized MED
grows on trees
IT IS RATIONED, according to how much you are taxed in thos communist countries
IN AMERICA anyone ::: anyone can have the best medical care by buying insureance;
90% of the NOT INSURED in the USA are NOT insured by choice:
1. they pay cash because they are rich enough
2. they did a crime and are in JAIL and their family is on WELFARE
and get free medical care through
MEDICAID:
NO ONE IN AMERICA is denied health care: IF THEY ARE POOR or ILLEGALS they all rush to the emergency room and get treatment:
THOSE "smart" know it all folks from Canada and or PRO COMMUNISTS, need to start using FACTS"
NO CHILD OR PERSON IN THE USA has died because they were denied FREE health care:
letty Bromenschenkel at 5:50PM on Jul 10th 2007
7.
so thrilled to have found POWER LINE
the left, pro socialist,pro communist,pro terrorist
Hate America, blame America, blogs are so pathetic
and the writers are so desperate to peddle their hate and PRO terrorist, PRO crime, PRO communist agenda:
frankly::
Anyone who hates the USA and or blames the USA
can move anywhere in the WORLD right NOW:
Imagine people from around the world breaking every law to break into America: NO ONE IS BREAKING OUT:
SORT OF SAYS IT ALL:
Anyone who hates Corporate America needs to move to Africa where there is zero Corporate America to provide you with:
THE MOST INCREDIBLE convenience
the MOST incredible Medical advancements
the MOST incredible technological advancements
the MOST incredible opportunities
the MOST incredible security
the MOST incredible safety
AND PRISTINE WATER TO FLUSH YOUR TOILET
letty Bromenschenkel at 6:01PM on Jul 10th 2007
8. For those who do not live in America please do not hate those who live in America. For those who live in America and have the ability to claim how great our country is please realize that there are people who die due to the expenses of heath care... don't be so foolish and deny that there are people who are so sick but have the lack of funds to take care of their sickness... because our country is great we should do as our founding fathers would do... create a system that will be there for the Americans.. not just those who can afford or those who have a job that offers insurance... there has to be a universal isurance for ALL AMERICANS... because we are all in the same boat... whether we sink together or swim together... we shall come together as our founding fathers would wish!!!
anthony jc. at 1:08AM on Jul 20th 2007