Posted on 12/13/2022 9:24:27 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The Epoch Times reported, "Canadians are now waiting longer than ever before if they need to see a specialist, obtain diagnostic procedures, or undergo surgery, according to a new survey.
"This year, an estimated 1,228,047 Canadians are waiting for procedures in 10 provinces. This is roughly 3.2% of the country’s population, assuming each person is only waiting for one medical treatment.
"The Fraser Institute says that in the nearly 30 years it has been documenting how long it takes for patients to receive necessary medical treatment, this year’s wait time of 27.4 weeks is the longest."
Reading that, I wondered what the wait time was in the United States.
I poked around the Internet and found the answer at several places. The most recent (September 15) was by Sara Heath.
She wrote, "The average patient appointment wait time is up 8% since 2017 and 24% since 2004, with the latest data from Merritt Hawkins showing it takes around 26 days for a new patient to get an appointment with a provider in 2022."
26 days, not weeks.
A week is 7 times as long as a day.
Thus, Canadians are waiting 7 times as long to see a specialist than Americans are.
Americans are alarmed at having to wait nearly a month to see a specialist while Canadians seem content to wait more than six months to see one.
Heath quoted Tom Florence, president of AMN Healthcare physician search division, who said, "Physician appointment wait times are the longest they have been since we began conducting the survey. Longer physician appointment wait times are a significant indicator that the nation is experiencing a growing shortage of physicians."
America's doctor shortage stems in part from the slowdown in imports from India, the Philippines and other nations that are now prosperous enough to allow a doctor to earn a good living.
Perhaps we can import doctors from Canada.
Nonetheless, Canadians are quite proud of their health system. It's free, they say.
But it is not free. Canadians pay for their system in time and the chances they take by waiting for a doctor.
While they look down their noses at the trillions of bucks we spend each year on health care, the fact is the U.S. government covers almost all the costs for nearly half the nation. Medicare covers 60 million old people (and a few others). Medicaid and CHIP cover 90 million poor people and children. There are overlaps as some people qualify for both.
The difference in health care is in the goals of the two governments. Canada set up its Medicare program in 1968 to reduce costs.
The USA set up its Medicare in 1965 to reduce the poverty rate among the elderly. The poverty rate was 28% for the elderly in 1966. Today, it is 10%.
The USA also set up Medicaid in 1965 to cover the poor. The poverty rate was 14% then. It is 11% today.
Canada has succeeded in controlling health care costs. The National Library of Medicine reported, "The United States spends nearly twice as much per capita on health care as Canada: $7,290 per person in the United States in 2007 compared with $3,895 per person in Canada."
The gap between the two countries has not changed much in the intervening years as Canada succeeded in keeping costs down while the USA succeeded in getting grandma off the cat food diet.
But the waiting time for health care shows Canadians don't get the same quality of care. Early detection is a factor in beating cancer.
Right now, 3% of Canadians are in a six-month wait to see a doctor.
The situation reminds me of the Fram oil filter ads from 50 years ago: You can pay me now or you can pay me later.
But there is some hope. 90% of Canadians live near enough to schedule appointments in the USA.
***
My wife’s family is in Canada. Wait times are at least that bad, and worse if you actually need something (e.g. hip replacement). Diagnostic waits are especially bad.
When I raise such a question to my brain-dead leftist relatives in Ontario, I get: That’s all Lies! You listen to FOX news!
RE: When I raise such a question to my brain-dead leftist relatives in Ontario, I get: That’s all Lies! You listen to FOX news!
I certainly hope they don’t experience any painful conditions that require minor surgery.
How long is the line at the Suicide clinic ?
It is not supposed to be such a long wait if you want euthanasia. They just need to figure out how to work the system.
Bet you an appointment to be euthanized is quicker.
The line is much, much shorter over here at the MAID clinic.
/sarc
IF you can find one
Is there any place in the world that does not cost $58,000 with little wait times?
It was also noted that there is at least one cardiac procedure (can't recall which one) for which one can expect to wait up to one year. A few years ago my young niece was diagnosed as having a heart valve defect and it was decided she needed that valve replaced. It was done...at a major Boston hospital...three days after her first appointment with the Cardiologist.
Lastly...a few years ago one of Canada's Provincial Premiers (can't recall which one) needed heart surgery. As a rich and important man he surely could have gone to any hospital in Montreal,Toronto or Vancouver. But he had it done here in the United States.
So...in Canada everyone has the right to a heart operation for which they might have to wait up to one year. And everyone has the right to a hip replacement for which they're likely to wait six months...or longer.
Thailand
Panama
Colombia
Spain
Portugal
France
Others.
well, it seems that these countries are doing something right. Why don’t we study their healthcare system and follow it?
Trudeu wants them to croak before they get medical help.
Deep state wants to control you, ration healthcare, give free to most and charge you.
They must control education, economy, guns, healthcare, taxation levels, speech, etc, or they cannot have complete control.
From todays news: they can off you this afternoon.
Literally.
A few years back I had a kidney stone. I saw my doctor on Monday, got referred to a specialist who I saw on Tuesday and had the thing laser blasted on Wednesday. All in the same week. And I had zero out of pocket costs. This was in Alaska. I’m guessing things wouldn’t move that quickly in Canada.
Wait until the next generation doctors come through. If the best & brightest are limited i what they can make, practice etc. they will chase other professions where those restrictions are not in place.
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