Canada wants to overhaul their system, too

Hot Air ^ | August 16, 2009 | ED MORRISSEY

[RobinMasters]

While Barack Obama continues to hail Canada’s health-care system as a model for the US to follow, its own constituencies warn that it’s nearing a collapse.

Saying that a “health care revolution has passed us by,” the president of the Canadian Medical Association wants a major change to eliminate long wait times and inject creativity back into the hidebound system. Dr. Robert Ouellette wants to use competition to do it:

[Alberta's Child]

When it comes to health care, Canada is one of the most effed-up countries you can imagine.

I'm not even talking about the quality of care, costs, etc., either. I'm talking about the regulatory climate in particular.

"Private health care" is supposed to be illegal under Canadian law, and yet some provincial governments are actually contracting with private clinics to provide health care services in order to reduce waiting times at government-run facilities!

How cool is that?

[b4its2late]

Ours will collapse too if we go with if Congress tampers with it.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

I posted the following on another thread yesterday:

The Fraser Institute, a Conservative think tank, has produced the definitive series of studies on Canada’s health care system. Anyone interested in knowing the facts, should read their reports. You can access them on line here:

http://www.fraserinstitute.org/researchandpublications/researchtopics/health.htm

Freepers will likely enjoy this one, for the Reaganesque title alone.

http://www.fraserinstitute.org/commerce.web/product_files/Realities-of-Health-Policy-CA.pdf

It busts a lot of health-care myths. There’s plenty of ammo there, to shoot down any Obamabot talking points.

[laotzu]

While Barack Obama continues to hail Canada’s health-care system...

I have never heard Obama hail Canada's system.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“His thoughts on the issue are already clear. Ouellet has been saying since his return that “a health-care revolution has passed us by,” that it’s possible to make wait lists disappear while maintaining universal coverage and “that competition should be welcomed, not feared.”
In other words, Ouellet believes there could be a role for private health-care delivery within the public system.”

[oh8eleven]

Two of my son's brothers-in-law are doctors, one of whom just spent a year in Vancouver.
He said the Canadian HC system was worse than he had ever heard.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

No, but he continues to hail the public option, which is a trojan horse for the Canadian and British single-payer model. And, he has stated in the past that he is in favor of the single payer model.

[DallasDeb]

This couldn’t have come at a better time.

[Incorrigible]

A doctor I know who is familiar with various Euro health systems and the US said Obama’s statements and the House plan most resembles the system in Spain if that helps.

[70th Division]

I know, maybe we can trade Barak for a case of Molson and call it even. He can reform THEIR system.

[Brit]

Although I am not a big Ouellet lover in this case he is right. Health Care is not as complicated as some people make out...on the one hand we have the vast majority of citizens who would have no problem finding their own medical insurance and on the other hand we have a certain number of citizens who would have tremendous difficulty paying for it.

It seems to me that a quantative mix of Public Health Care and Private Health Care is the way to go. In Alberta this is basically what we are heading for.

Where the wheels fall off is when politicians from the left try to embrace everyone under their visionary medicare cloak. They don’t seem to be able to get their heads around the idea that a normal sensible person can look after themselves thank you very much.

Tommy Douglas a National Dem politician started this National Health Care gig in Canada decades ago..and it has proven a nightmare to fund and literally billions of tax dollars have been sucked into the pit with it over the years.

If we in Canada are horrified over the cost of NHC then imagine what it will do in the States. First of all you have around 42 million people who have no medical coverage at all..secondly you have an enormous number of people living there who shouldn’t be living there. All of these are going to require coverage under the proposed NHC system. Canada has none of these problems thank god!

So, if we in Canada are finding the strain on our wallets backbreaking imagine what is going to happen when the US Dems call down for the kind of money you will need to cover everyone under one umbrella??

Ouellet is correct...a judicious mix of Public/Private Health Care is the way to go to ensure that each citizen can get decent treatment when they need it..but how you could do this in the USA is tricky to say the least.

There are several things that clog up a Public Health Care system..when people think it is free they will use it and abuse it to their hearts content. The lower classes don’t pay for it so they go to the clinics or the docs as soon as little Jimmy has a runny nose..or Mary has a zit on her bottom. Taxpayers who are paying for it want their moneys worth...now!

Doctors who normally would spend a little more time on their patients..instead zoom through their daily schedules packing as many into their waiting rooms as possible trying desperately to not look like moneygrabbers.. which some of them are.. being only human like the rest of us!

Some docs refer as many patients as possible onward to specialists..when they could very well do some proper doctoring and treat patients themselves..hopefully this is what they went to Uni for.. not to act as doormen to the various specialists.

Canada is not a good scapegoat for the US to hold up as typical of a failing health service. According to the naysayers in the US..Canada is plunging down the medical tubes at a rapid rate of knots..maybe we are to some extent..but with only 34 million people to look after and almost none of the massive problems that the US face..it is an oranges and apples thing.

I think if I had any pull in the US Senate I would be looking to send all aliens back wherever they came from..then toughen up the border crossings in the south..(you needn’t worry about the north, because not too many Canadians want to move illegaly into Montana.)

Then take a look at bringing in a partial HCS to cover the poorest in the land.. coupled with leaving well alone for the rest of the country.

[NoLibZone]

Canada’s provincial (state) health care systems aren’t obligated by law to care for illegals or non Canadians.

Here in the US our health care systems are obligated to offer care regardless of ability to or nationality.

Any health care option we begin will include illegals just as it does now.

It will be a boon to our northern and southern neighbors!