Canucks come to America for health care
Just how good is that Canadian “universal health care”? It’s so good that…Canadians are coming here for private health care. From Buffalo News:
Universal health care: Is it worth the long waits?
Push is on for private insurance in Canada as residents come to the U.S. for timely treatment
Canadian Lindsay McCreith came to Buffalo for an MRI after being told he would have to wait over four months for one at home. After battling brain cancer, Lindsay McCreith is ready for his next fight: He’s taking on the Canadian health care system.
His case has potential repercussions on both sides of the border as pressure grows for health reform.
It started when McCreith, a resident of Newmarket, north of Toronto, suffered a seizure last year. He was told in Canada he would have to wait more than four months for an MRI to rule out a malignant tumor.
Rather than wait, McCreith, 66, quickly arranged a trip to Buffalo for a scan. The MRI confirmed his worst fears — a cancerous growth that a Buffalo neurosurgeon removed a few weeks later.
“If I had been patient, I’d probably be disabled or dead today,” McCreith said.
Now, McCreith is suing the Ontario government in a closely watched constitutional challenge that could reshape universal health coverage in the province by striking down the prohibition against patients buying private insurance.
Let that sink in, folks. It is a crime for people in Canada for people to spend their own money (a) in any manner they see fit and (b) on their own health! And Edwards, Obama, Shrillary, et al on the left want that to come here? I don’t think so! Continuing:
On this side of the border, advocates of universal health insurance champion Canada’s popular public program as a fairer system that the United States should emulate, as seen in Michael Moore film, “Sicko.” Yet critics see the long waits for some services in Canada — mainly for non-emergency surgery — as an argument against an increased role for government in health care.
In Canada, McCreith’s story reflects a debate, intensified by the long waiting times, between those who want more for-profit, private care and those who fear the rise of two-tier medicine that undermines the public system.
McCreith offers little doubt about where he stands. “We have universal health coverage,” he said. “But it failed me when I needed it the most.”
The most common sense question is asked right here by McCreith:
“I was in the auto body shop business,” he said. “If I gave you an appointment four months away, you would go somewhere else. Why should health care be any different?”
It shouldn’t.
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Whoa!! Back up the train. The problem in Canada is not quality of health care, but quantity. Right now there is not enough to go around. Univeral health care is not a “bad” idea, except for the American Doctors who what to live like Donald Trump. The US medical system is wraght with fraud, that’s right fraud. Doctors are charging OUTRAGEOUS fees and getting away with it. They think they are gods. Pay or die. Now how does that compare to the Canadian Systems. Canada “very simply” needs to subsidise medical students who have the talent, but not the money to get through medical school. More doctors will solve the quantity problem. If the Hospitals need more equipment, then the equipment needs to be bought and “HOLD ON TO YOUR ASS” the premiums paid by Canadians need to be raised to cover the costs. Right now, a family of two pays about a 100 bucks a month for medical care… HOLY SHIT you say, you can’t get good medical care for that kind of money. RIGHT ON, I say. If you want comparible quantity to the US, PAY FOR IT. Double the damn premium. 12,500,000 million people in Ontarion times an extra 100 a month equals 1,250,000,000 bucks A MONTH. Thats right folks 1.2 BILLION a month… Damn, you can buy a SHIP LOAD of equipment and testing for that kind of money. So smarten up Canadians, pay a “Little” more. And Smarten up Americans, for a couple hundred bucks a month you could have it too. Doctors do not need to live like Donald Trump!!!
Comment by Mike | January 19, 2008
Bingo.
Comment by Mike | January 19, 2008
Lindsay McCreith has stage 4 cancer, unfortunately there is no hope for Lindsay. The American system just made money of this poor unfortunate individual. The Canadian healthsystem consistently ranks higher than the Americans. Canadians have a longer average life span, lower infant mortality and more healthcare workers per citizen than the US. The worlds best healthcare system is France’s which is a socialist one and France spends 1/2 the amount of money per patient than the American one. The Amerian system is filled with corruption. The US prescription healthcare bill was written by lobbyists, it makes America the world’s largest buyer of prescription medication. The bill forbids the US government from getting a volume discount, how ridiculous is that. The bills sponsors know work for pharmaceutical lobbyists and the bill was passed in the middle of the night before anyone could read it.
Comment by John P | February 22, 2008
Go pound sand, John. Canucks are coming over here to America because they’re tired of waiting 4-6 months for a freakin’ MRI. “The American system just made money of this poor unfortunate individual” because his own godforsaken country told him to take a number.
As for the “no hope for” him, go screw yourself. A family friend was told by her doctor that she had six months to live as a result of her breast cancer. She rejected that, and she lived another 19 years. Unless you’ve been touched by someone with a diagnosis of cancer, I’m in no mood to hear your “hopeless” drivel.
Your health care system sucks. Socialism sucks. Deal with it.
Comment by crushliberalism | February 22, 2008
Well, yeah, the system has its flaws. However, one of the major issues with the Canadian system is actualy the lack of resources to put it into action. Each province, from where this, ahem, “socialism” runs from, are so jealous of their own powers that they will never allow the federal government or the other provinces to lend a hand; and so the large or wealthy provinces, like Ontario, Alberta, and Québec, have very good public health care, while poorer or small provinces, like Manitoba (my home) Newfoundland, and maybe Saskatchewan do not. Manitoba has a population of only about 1.3 million, so try running a region-wide public ANYTHING with a workforce and tax base that puny. Moreover, many doctors get so frustrated with the stress in Canada that they simply move to the US for larger incomes and less stress, thus compounding the problem.
Do not say that the US system is not without its problem either. Insurance premiums become ever the more ludicrous. Maybe the ideal solution lies somewhere in between.
Comment by D.I.D. | February 22, 2010
I am trying to find out who pays for the health care when someone travels to the US to get health care and they are from a country with govt controlled health care? Does the Canadian govt reimburse the US or does the person pay out of pocket? Anyone know? Thanks, Linda T
Comment by Linda T | April 21, 2010
Linda T
Why would the Canadian government reimburse the US when the system is largely private?
People pay out of their pockets when in America for medical reasons.
Comment by D.I.D. | April 26, 2010