As Americans Await Obamacare, Canadians Wait Longer for Treatment

Capitol Confidential ^ | 1/4/2012 | Jack McHugh

[MichCapCon]

The Fraser Institute of Canada reports that the median wait-time for a Canadian who needs surgery or other therapies rose to 19.0 weeks in 2011, the longest since the Institute first began tracking wait times in 1993. The wait time for a patient referred by a general practitioner to a specialist rose from a median of 8.9 weeks in 2010 to 9.5 weeks in 2011 (up 156 percent since 1993). Patients can then expect to wait an additional 9.5 weeks before actually receiving treatment from the specialist, up from 9.3 weeks in 2010 (a 70 percent increase since 1993).

Under the definition of “median wait time” in the Fraser report, half of all patients get treatment sooner than the median, while half must wait even longer.

Canada has a “single payer” health care system, in which nearly all health care services are paid for by the government, and the private practice (and purchase) of medical services is significantly restricted. Under the pending “Obamacare” law in the United States, the government would assume the cost for most medical treatment through individual insurance subsidies, and private medicine would not be restricted.

Under the Canadian system, bureaucrats and politicians are responsible for determining the “global” budget of all health care services the government will pay for during any given year. Under Obamacare, the amount of spending is theoretically open-ended, but it's likely that future budget deficits will pressure policymakers to impose various forms of direct or indirect rationing to contain costs, as happens in Canada. Restricting the number of providers — and so imposing longer wait times — is probably the most common form of rationing used by government-run health care systems.

[Twotone]

Leftists truly don’t understand supply & demand. One obvious thing to do, if you want to bring the cost of health care down, is encourage more people to become doctors & nurses. They’ve done they opposite, with predictable results.

[massgopguy]

Sure you’ll die waiting but you’ll never get a bill. Except that YOU DO! Got a broken leg? Sure, we’ll set it. But the cast and crutches are EXTRA!

[Beowulf9]

And if you are a Canadian and travel and you have a need for surgery during your vacation, unless it’s life threatening you have to return to Canada and get on the wait list to get it, by their providers.

They only approve life threatening hospital care out of the country.

[The Great RJ]

It's not only increased waiting time it's also access to higher levels of care that suffer under a national health care system. In 2007 a woman in Calagry, Alberta carrying quadruplets had to give birth in a Montana hospital because there were not enough NICU beds in the whole whole of Canada to accommodate the babies. Link to story It is ironic that in a small state like Montana there were a relative abundance of NICU beds while in neighboring Canada there was a national shortage.

[nuconvert]

Bump

[Sergio]

bookmark

[Bubba_Leroy]

I have always wondered whether elected officials in countries with socialized medicine have to wait as long as the little people.

Somehow, I don’t see Barry, Michelle or Hillary ever having to wait in line to see a doctor.