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Posted on 11/21/2008 4:15:41 PM PST by Mike Fieschko
I have several Canadian friends who have explained their Medical shuffle. They travel back to Canada for the expensive stuff, if it’s not life threatening, or requiring high levels of quality/skill. For all the important stuff, they use US sources. That goes for drugs too.
BTW, I'm sure we can get some one-way bus tickets for them to go back and stay back in Canada.
“For all the important stuff, they use US sources. That goes for drugs too.”
That is typical of the misinformation. You suggest they go Canada for the expensive stuff but they use US services for the more important stuff. I would suggest the more important that it is, the more expensive it is. There is an inherent contradiction in your statement.
You are right in this respect: If we were really good at delivering ultra-high quality at a competitive price, there would be no question as to where to go for care. Both systems have their strengths and flaws, and some of our flaws are bloated cost and exclusion of some from the routine care which would prevent the catastrophies for which they present to the ER (and are cared for regardless of ability to pay).
You may be stunned to discover that there are many Canadians married to Americans and vice versa who are in the position of being able to choose which system they want to function under.
The point that I was trying to make is that we don’t listen to Canadians about their opinion of their health care system. The point is they love their system and prefer it far greater to the US system. You may not like their opinion but it is time to start looking at it because it is going to be hyped by the media and by the incoming Congress.
I think you are exactly on target. The US spends far more per capita on health care than any other country. Yet life expectancy in the US trails Canada and all of the other countries with national health care. A key statistic is fatalities among infants and the US does very poorly in comparison with other industrialized countries.
That would (could) work if socialized medicine actually worked..which it doesn’t so it’s not goint kill...!
We need to do better with our infant mortality stats to see which are due to maternal neglect (crack, opiates, alcohol, etc) and lack of concern with access to the system vs poor access to the sytem, incomplete evaluation and delivery of service, and just plain incompetence. How much our attitudes toward addiction and marginalization of addicts contributes to the figures is unknown. Hard statistical nut to crack and thus hard to know where to aim (better services, better access, education for the public and providers)
I had not thought of the neglect factor.
I talked to several the Canadians who came down for joint replacements and heart caths that they had to wait forever for in Canada. To the last person, they seemed to enjoy the U.S. medical system.
But do you not realize how bizarre that situation has become. There are some high demand areas where the Canadian system may allows people to get medical care in the US and they will pay for it. On the other hand, some Americans who might need the same surgery are denied it because they do not have the necessary insurance coverage. Do you not think this is unjust?
What are Daschle’s qualifications for this job?
Obamacare will lead to healthcare mediocrity. We’ll have to travel to Japan to get anything advanced. Welcome to average.
I have never seen anyone denied necessary medical treatment due to an inability to pay. I worked in hospitals for about 15 years. Granted, I have been out of that arena for about 8 years.
Well, he’s a Washington insider and his wife is a lobbyist for Boeing.
I think the key point I am trying to make is the need to prepare for a dramatic shift in talking points. Much of the language on health care has been about how great the US system works in relation to the rest of the world, especially those countries that have single payer systems. Watch for survey after survey to be tabled showing how unhappy Americans are with the US system. On the other hand, watch for the corresponding surveys indicating that people in other countries much prefer their systems to the US system.
My issue is more pragmatic. Every industrial competitor of the US embeds the cost of health care within the general revenues of the government. It is not placed on the marketplace. So, US industry operates at a tremendous disadvantage to its international competitors.
McCain's plan contained some good ideas, but lost out in the campaign to Obama's lying counterattack. Unfortunately, free market solutions in medicine seem too much for the dumbed down Obama electorate to comprehend.
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