The Myth of Canadian Health Care Nirvana
For years we have been told--and I sure used to believe--that the Canadians had the best approach to health care. Single payer funding, privately employed doctors--seemingly, a good mix. Except it's not. From a column by Nadeem Esmail in yesterday's Wall Street Journal:
Canadians often wait months or even years for necessary care. For some, the status quo has become so dire that they have turned to the courts for recourse. Several cases currently before provincial courts provide studies in what Americans could expect from government-run health insurance.Some Canadians have had enough and are suing the government, claiming these long waits are constitutional violations.In Ontario, Lindsay McCreith was suffering from headaches and seizures yet faced a four and a half month wait for an MRI scan in January of 2006. Deciding that the wait was untenable, Mr. McCreith did what a lot of Canadians do: He went south, and paid for an MRI scan across the border in Buffalo. The MRI revealed a malignant brain tumor. Ontario's government system still refused to provide timely treatment, offering instead a months-long wait for surgery. In the end, Mr. McCreith returned to Buffalo and paid for surgery that may have saved his life.
And talk about age-based rationing!
Bill Murray waited in pain for more than a year to see a specialist for his arthritic hip. The specialist recommended a "Birmingham" hip resurfacing surgery (a state-of-the-art procedure that gives better results than basic hip replacement) as the best medical option. But government bureaucrats determined that Mr. Murray, who was 57, was "too old" to enjoy the benefits of this procedure and said no.In Canada, patients are not allowed to pay for their own health care--egalitarianism run amuck. That's why those who can, come to the USA: Even the Provinces sometimes send women here to give birth!
He concludes:
Canada's system comes at the cost of pain and suffering for patients who find themselves stuck on waiting lists with nowhere to go. Americans can only hope that Barack Obama heeds the lessons that can be learned from Canadian hardships.We need reform here, no doubt. But centralized control leads into a labyrinth.
Labels: Canadian Health Care. Single Payer. Health Care Rationing.
posted by Wesley J. Smith @ 8:57 AM
17 Comments
17 Comments:
Lovely, less than three months until I move to Canada. I'm still going to just pay out of pocket to come back to the States to keep seeing my own neurologist rather than go through heck trying to find one up there. But unlike lots of people I'll be fortunate enough to just be living a few hours ferry ride away from Seattle. It's easy to get in to see a regular doctor, but if you need to see a specialist, you're not so lucky.
On the other side of things, my father-in-law lives in Cape Breton and he's been going through all sorts of health issues lately and he's been very fortunate that he hasn't had any trouble with the system over there. It's not bad everywhere, but he's just been lucky. I'm really worried about what's going to happen when I'm living up there and get my next kidney stone or whatever odd thing, whether or not I'll be able to get the help I need.
(And also I'm not too excited about giving up some of my other great American freedoms.)
I guess it depends on who you speak to as far as our Canadian health care is concerned. I'm sure depending on who is writing the story, we could find a lot of complains also in other countries.
Maybe I've been lucky and although on occasions I've had a little extra wait, I've managed so far to put UP with "IT" and overall I'm not really complaining.
Just to name a few, I was helped when I had pneumonia; with dibieties; I've passed a stone in both my kidneys; a heart vein which was ninety per cent blocked was corrected also free of charge and all while in hospital.
My wife as had a lot more done than me and I won't get into it here but she's not really complaining also.
The greatest news to tell you is the service which has been provided to our ten year old grand son who has C.F. (cystic fibrosis) and for that reason alone our Canadian System gets a A+, well from me anyway.
Victor: I think you are right. No system is perfect. I have a friend with advanced MS who seems to get good care.
Still, the wheels seem to be coming off. Here too.
We need a good mix of private/public, I think.
Yeah, Victor, it seems like it makes a big difference depending on where you live. I'll be in Victoria. I imagine they don't have much trouble convincing doctors to practise there . . . ;-) (fingers crossed). Unless they do because it's so stupidly expensive to live there. Hmm.
>We need a good mix of private/public, I think.<
Wesley, I've had deep thoughts about this in the past and part of me agrees with you. Although,I don't know which part of me agrees with it. Maybe part good and part well you know. I'll just say that from where I stand there are a lot of good rich people but I think that I better just stay out of politic and wait for the second coming.:)
Deborah.... I'll keep my fingers cross also and maybe say a little prayer for you.
What do you mean by that?
Nothing! Honestly! :)
Thanks Victor. I'm only 26 years old and I've got many many years to survive the health care system! :-D I mean, at least I hope so.
Wait wait wait... Not *allowed* to pay out of pocket?! If I have the money and can afford it, why can't I pay out of pocket? Wouldn't that speed things along, help me get the treatment I need, and ensure that I don't die of, say, a brain tumor?
What the heck is up with that? Why did they disallow people to pay their own expenses?
T E Fine.... Hey! This is Canada and I could tell you lots of things that I disagree with and I'm not always right but believe me,I don't think that you would really want to get me started.
I really got fed... UP with one certain thing that happened in our Federal parliament. To make a long story short, when they passed a certain law, I wrote to our now new Prime Minister and in so many words after prayer told him that if there really was a God, he would be our new PM. Of course I was just guessing from the heart cause he was about 30% down in the poles. I don't think that he really believed "IT" but nevertheless he wrote back to me and it is now a reality.
To be honest, I really don't know if The Holy Spirit is working within me but like I keep telling who ever will listen that if you ever see me change water into wine. Simply tell me that "IT" was a good trick but I want to see "IT" again tomorrow cause don't you remember Victor those were your "Words" in the pass.
I hear ya! This guy is still in office so how long to you think it will take him to spiritually stab Your God in the back also?
Hey don't talk like that! :)
Victor:
I was just so surprised! I never heard that you weren't allowed to pay out of pocket. A few of my friends self-insure because they find that they get better treatment that way, and they can afford it. That's just.. .really bizarre.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit just smacks you with what you're going to say and you're blindsided, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what happened with you, but I wasn't there so I don't know the details. Blah.
T E Fine
Never mind The Holy Spirit, most can barely finger ourselves out!
I hear ya! Speak for yourself Victor! Blah, blah, blah. :)
Where did "health care system" come from in the first place? There are doctors, nurses, hospitals, sick people, it's very simple; who made up this "enterprise"? Why? Who benefits?
It's like calling a waiter or waittress a "server." It gets into people's lives the way the "server" introduces him/herself. Who cares, it has nothing to do with the food, and the "health care system" has nothing to do with health or care either.
Ianthe or should I call you Ian the philosopher and I don't mean to be in-polite by saying that but would you not agree that God does care?
Don't you think that we human Canadians with God's Help will eventually get "IT" straight?
Victor: I'm not big on the God thing. I certainly don't buy Christianity. I think logic and reason are enough. I have no idea whether Canadians will get it right, and I believe that if people need "God's" help to get it right they aren't thinking straight enough, and are just talking about an excuse and a crutch. Anyway I was talking about the phrase "health care system" which is the kind of termiage that crops up everywhere, superfluous, unnecessary, etc., and justifies something that doesn't do the job.
Hmm. What's wrong with having a crutch?
Trust me Ianthe, it really is an amazing crutch and it's free.
I only wish that I could prove it to you but the problem is that we all have free will.
For what it's worth, I think that you're still a nice man and I might just pay you a visit when I get my wings in the next world. :)
To us in Australia it seems like the US and Canada are both two extremes. We have a mix of public health care that covers GPs, basic dental, etc. and private health cover for specialists and hospital treatment. It works very well as you can choose a waiting time in a public hospital or a, well, shorter waiting time, in a private one. Then there's govt subsidy on some drugs and a benefit scheme if you're on low income to make your prescriptions very cheap. Health care here is always a noteable expense but never breaks your back.
Anna: That's interesting. I believe that a mixed system such as that may be the only workable solution.
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