If Canada's healthcare is so great then, why do so many Canadians?

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greatwhitenorth28 AM

No need to answer since so many of my fellow Canucks have answered the question already.

I really can't understand the negativity Americans have for our health system. Is it jealousy? Do Americans have no compassion for the poor and middle class?

I think it's the Washington lobbyists that are to blame. They are so afraid of an American universal health-care plan that they will spend as much as it takes to spread this disinformation about our Canadian health-care system. The same sort that pushes consumers to buy gas guzzlers and scare the public in to accepting an illegal war and the loss of rights and privacy. They even tried to blame Liam Neeson's wife's death on our health system. Even though this isn't the case I am sure that half the American population believes it is. Just as so many Americans still think that Iraq was involved in 9/11 and that some of the 9/11 terrorists came in to the USA through Canada.

I really hope President Obama will do the right thing and set up universal health-care for the US. Trust me, it would be the best thing to happen in a long, long time.

cldhughes

Those rich Canadians you speak of are going south for cosmetic surgeries. It's cheaper to get botoxed over there apparently. I have a severely handicapped child, who has required multiple surgeries, I've never waited and I've never paid a cent for it. If I were state side I would have had to turn custody over to the state because there would be no way in hell I could afford to take care of him. You only have to wait 6 months for a CT if it is not deemed immediately necessary. If you have a head injury you are getting your CT right then. As for Canadian patients flying south, is it possible it's for a particular specialist? I know in the time I have spent at Sick Kids in Toronto I have seen numerous patients flown in not only from the US but from all over the world, I wonder why that is?

thinkingtime

Got my CT in two hours.

I had some radiation treatment in the US - my Canadian healthplan paid.

Hope you are really happy in Denver. It's kind of you to be concerned about Canadians but we are actually doing rather well.

We get the health care treatment in the US, and our health insurance pays for it. We don't have to lose our house or put our financial future at stake to get better, unlike you.

So I guess you can say that our health care is doing better than the Avalanche this year!

freeside49

why is our system so great? because it covers everyone equally, however long the line everyone is the same. We all sink and swim together. Now naturally everyone wants treatment for everything to the max STAT. That cant be done in a universal system and those that can afford to foot the bill on their own do go outside the country BUT that doesnt reflect on the overall results achieved;
Canada has a higher life expectancy for both men and women. We have a lower infant mortality rate than the US. If you work in medicine you might recognize those two parameters as the gold standard of a country's ability to care for its citizens..all their citizens. (and oh did I mention canada spends 1/2 per capitia on healthcare than the US?? So my question back to you would be why do americans pay twice as much per person and achieve less from their system... well all those handsome profits for insurers and medical providors have to come from somewhere. No Canadian loses their life savings due to a family illness, there is no such things as "pre-existing condition" in our books. You are covered from cancer to coronaries whether your a prince or a pauper
We have had universal single payor system here since 1965.. dont think HMOs from the US are not drooling to get in here to fleece us the same way they fleece you but Canadian will tar and feather any poltician who introduces a for profit provate healthcare in Canada.. we all feel pretty strongly about that.
proof is in the pudding..

tuppenybitz

ive never waited more than a month for a routine CT, if its an emergency you get it immediately

my hubby only waited 5 weeks or a non emergency operation so i don't know what you yanks are on about ,i think the health care is great here and im not canadian and ive never had to pay a cent other than the taxes my hubby pays

Know-it-all

Ahhh.. a smart US citizen. The system is great because you could be a panhandler on the streets of Calgary and be flown by the goverment to Denver for the scan and flown back at zero cost to you. So what that should tell you is that Canadaian health system has just the right number of scanners to do the job (no excessive waste) and "rents" when there is an overflow. As a citizen of Canada, you can rest assured that when you need medical help, you will get it at zero cost.

Brianna's Mommy

Ugh, you again. How many times have you asked about Canada's health care system now?

You know, if we all hated our system so much, we would not have fought to keep it from turning to a privatized system like the US. This is what happened when the conservatived proposed going to a private or 2-tier system. They were met by thousands of protestors fighting to keep our current system.

We go to America for elective surgeries that would not be covered by universal health care. For example, my mother in law is getting an elective dental surgery done in the US, because here it would cost her around $10000 more to get it done here. It was a completely elective cosmetic surgery, and dentistry isn't part of the universal health care system anyways.

Anyway, I said it before, and I'll say it again. If you have an issue with our system, stay put. It's none of your business what goes on in Canada. Obviously, we care more about our fellow citizens who wouldn't be able to get insurance or afford expensive hospital bills than our neighbours to the south.

SteveN

Rick Mercer is a comedian. He exagerates things and says things to get a laugh or make a point.

If you watch his show, do you also think we all live in igloos, that we legalized staples last year, and our former Prime Minister was named "Jean Poutine"?

Who do you get your American health care system facts from, Robin Williams?

Rich Canadians do go down to USA for some treatments. That is because they are willing to pay for treatment that is not covered under the Canadian health care plan (such as cosmetic surgery), to get it done quickly on their schedule instead of when the doctor would be available here in Canada, or to seek out the best specialist for their condition.

An oncologist in Calgary General Hospital may be just as qualified to treat a person with a tumor as the doctor working at the Mayo Clinic. The difference is the doctor at Calgary General only looks at the patient's Medicare card, and doesn't care if the patient earns $30K or $300K per year.

Jake

whatever, keep ur stupid US system, we're not bothered by what u do..or think.

Douglas L

It is far better than the US system but it needs improvement.
The Canadian system is trying to do far more than the American system, in that it is trying to take care of everybody. Health care costs far less to provide in Canada than the USA. Doctors cost less. Drugs cost less. Administration costs far less.

kenoplayer

Those Canadians who go south are doing so for cosmetic and do not want to wait. In rare cases, they are seeing a specialists for rare treatment that A) may not be available in Canada or B) there is a wait list and they are willing to pay out of their own pocket to get it done right away.

old lady

Actually, the number of Canadians who go to the US or elsewhere for treatment is a miniscule percentage of the population, and the usual reason is that they want treatment/surgery right now.
Any emergency surgery, CAT scans etc. are done instantly. The rest are prorated according to urgency.
I, personanally, have had a CAT scan and emergency surgery within hours of developing a condition, so I know the system works in that regard.
One thing that is really great about our system is that it doesn't cost you anything. Not for the hospital, not for the ambulance, not for the doctor, not for the medications, not for the followup services - physio etc.
That means everyone gets the same level of care, regardless of whether they are rich or poor. That sounds like a pretty great system to me and, having had emergencies in the US and had to pay thousands and thousands of dollars for care that would be free at home, I don't think the US system is anything to be proud of.

Alphabetty

I've never had to wait long to get anything done, Sometimes if the emergency room is busy you can wait a while but every hospital is like that they always see people based on severity of the condition. So if you walk into emergency on a packed Saturday afternoon with a twisted ankle you might have to wait like five hours but then they'll do the x-ray's AND put the cast on right there , , ,yup all in the same visit its pretty amazing.

Seriously i have never known anyone who waited six months for a CT (Rick Mercer was joking it's kinda his thing) I had headaches, my doctor was concerned, and i got a CT that same week, turned out I just needed to update my glasses prescription . . .and the best part I didn't have to pay a cent for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also had a lump in my breast i got an ultrasound the next week, and as i was a student at the time the hospital even scheduled update visits around my studies! Despite what you might have heard it's all pretty humane up here!

As for the rich Canadians going to the US I've only heard of people traveling to other countries to get treatment from specialists if they have rare or life threatening conditions. In which case there are Americans who do that too. If your tongue turns rainbow and the only doctor who handles rainbow tongues lives in London England, well that's where your going to go isn't it? ( also a Canadian wouldn't have to be rich to do that if no doctors in Canada specialize in a condition we can seek medical care elsewhere for free).

In fact Canada was having a problem with American's and other people taking Canadian peoples health cards to get free treatment and drugs, now we all have photo ID health cards . . . . Now what does that say to you??

Nobody has ever said our health care delivery system is SO great with the implications that it's better than absolutely everything else. It's not a perfect system but at least we all have universal access to necessary medical treatment which we pay for out of our own taxes. We may not get in super soon but emergency cases are seen very quickly.

Wealthy Canadians head to the US for treatment because they can. In many cases, wait times aren't so long - just that a lot of wealthy people don't feel like waiting at all. A lot of Americans obtain prescriptions from their American doctors and then come up here to get cheaper meds. If your system is infinitely better then why are potentially lifesaving meds SO expensive that almost nobody can afford them? If your system is superior then why are busloads of US citizens coming up here to Canada to get their prescriptions filled?

I have MS and so have experienced having to wait for procedures and tests like MRIs. When I was initially diagnosed, though, I had to wait - gasp - 20 minutes for a CT scan. Why? Because it was considered an EMERGENCY. Emergency cases are seen as quickly as possible.

As for Rick Mercer, I am unaware of any Canadians heading to the US for CT scans. Perhaps theirs are not considered emergency cases.

You Americans and this passion you have for knocking the Canadian health care really ignores the sad reality of your own heartless system where upwards of 25% of American citizens have no insurance at all whatsoever. So, I would gently suggest to you that before you start criticizing other countries and whatever systems they use that you take a good solid look at your own system.

Best Answer Please

I SO AGREE WITH YOU. Canada needs a 2 tiered medical system for the wealthy and the poor. I waited 4 hours 3 times just to see a bleeding nose at the emergency. Its terrible. I've heard some people die before they get treatment becuase the doctors get money from the government, so they have no incentive to work hard. While i was waiting at the emerg, I so a doctor and a nurse go out for coffee breaks while there were 9 people waiting at the center. Also there are bacterial outbreaks and none of our hospitals can do the latest surgeries. There are only 3 robotic surgery robots in canada compared to hundreds in the US.

harry k

Because cancer survival rates are higher in the US than the rest of the world.

http://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2007/10/closer-look-at-cancer-survival-rates.html

All health care is rationed, either by the state (Canada, Europe, etc) or by the market (US). The state ration's care to a "least common denominator". Everybody gets mediocre care. The market rations health care by means. If you have the means you will get the best health care on the planet.

Here's a question......
Which one would you choose?
Death
or
A large medical bill.

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