Posted on 08/08/2017 7:33:06 PM PDT by ReformationFan
While some Americans, including politicians, continue to push for single-payer healthcare, a Canadian is helping people in his country get care in America – because the healthcare system where he lives, he says, "simply does not work."
As many people know, Canada has single-payer healthcare. That means the government runs and controls the delivery of all healthcare. Under that system, people wanting plastic surgery – for example – would foot the bill; but procedures, including cardiac bypass, can be done, albeit not always in a timely manner.
Will liberals in America ever be convinced that single-payer (government-run) healthcare isn't the solution? Yes – if they'll listen to logic Eventually – after they impose it and it falls flat Won't happen – to libs, gov't is always the solution Vote View ResultsPolldaddy.com "People in Canada are dying on waiting lists," says Richard Baker of Timely Medical Alternatives. "They might be on a waiting list for six months to a year for cardiac bypass. And during that time their condition might worsen – and by the time they go in for their surgery, it may be too late."
Canadians are paying what Baker describes as "crushing" personal taxes and fees for a healthcare system that some Americans incorrectly view as free. "Canadians pay dearly for their healthcare system," he says. "It is not free; and moreover [it] does not cover pharmaceuticals, it does not cover dentistry."
Anything other than surgery or care by a medical doctor would have to be paid for privately in Canada, where healthcare costs are the bulk of a province's budget.
Baker "That's money taken away from infrastructure, from social services," Baker warns. "Everything else in a government's budget is now secondary to healthcare."
Still, on the other side of the border Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) continues to tout single-payer healthcare, saying it's better than America's current system. Other supporters say Canadians only have to wait for "elective" surgeries.
"The implication being that the patient [may want] to have a hip replacement – [but that patient may] have to wait anywhere from six to 18 months," responds Baker. "That's not an 'elective' surgery by any normal definition of the word; but in Canada, the government has decreed that the term 'elective' surgery applies to any surgery which is not for a situation that involves imminent loss of life or limb .... They call it 'elective' so that they can justify the long waiting list."
This isn't the first time Baker has shared these concerns.
"When ObamaCare was first proposed, and before it had been passed into law ... I spoke to [Republicans in Congress] telling them how disastrous it would be if the U.S. followed a Canadian model," he recalls. "I spoke forcefully against any suggestion that they adopt the 'free' healthcare system that we enjoy in Canada because it simply does not work."
So ... what's the solution?
To counteract the failures of that single-payer system, Baker's organization offers Canadian clients a route that's not available to them in Canada.
"We offer them the option of going to the U.S. and getting their surgery immediately," he explains. "If they needed a cardiac bypass, we could get it for them within 24 hours – and [we] have done so for several of our Canadian clients [as] there's no way the Canadian government can stop Canadians from crossing the border to access American healthcare."
According to Baker, some hospitals Timely Medical Alternatives uses are in Oklahoma; others are in Arizona.
"Canadians don't need me to go to the U.S. to get prompt healthcare, but our role is to find sources of quality surgery delivered at deeply discounted pricing," Baker shares. "We negotiate prices which are a fraction of what a Canadian might pay if he were to knock on the door of an American hospital by himself."
To date, 25,000 Canadians go to the U.S. every year for healthcare, although Baker says the people coming through his organization are a small percentage of that. Meanwhile, he does have a company that helps uninsured Americans get procedures done - North American Surgery, Inc.
"We send them to the same hospitals, and they pay the same discounted rates we've arranged for our Canadian clients," he tells OneNewsNow.
One of the worlds champion bagpipers had a stroke years ago. A young man at the time. They took him to the ER and he lay there for hours while they did nothing.
He cant play the pipes anymore.
I could give you his name but...
“I have a cousin in the Vancouver area who had a baby last year. Neither her or the baby have a family Dr, they go to a clinic and see whoever is there.”
A couple of weeks ago we discussed Affirmative Action as it relates to doctors and how many of us would never consider a black doctor, simply because we don’t have a way to know if he’s actually qualified...he could well be another Ben Carson...but, more likely, not.
The effect of my decision and millions like me has to be really tough on minority doctors, but this is health care, not lawn care.
But when the government ASSIGNS doctors to the masses, then that effect goes away, since the ability to avoid doctors which may have been ‘pushed along’ no longer exists.
I went on the list for knee replacement in July 2016. They said 8 months to a year. I was just informed that they just don’t have the operating room enough, and I’m now November or December. I’ll bet it doesn’t even happen then.
It’s NOT free, and, unless it’s life threatening, be prepared to wait. Now, OTOH, if you want to spend many of your days running around to specialist after specialist because it’s a way of life, then you’ll always get an appointment. The doctors are happy to bill OHIP as often as possible. I see seniors do this all the time.
Enjoy your life. Stay healthy.
FUBernie. ESAD.
So you're saying that if you're lucky you will have waited only 18 months for your surgery??? Yikes!!
I'm a typical middle class American...not rich,*or* poor *or* powerful.I just had my second hip replacement a month ago (the first one having been done about 9 years ago).With both hips I was in the recovery room of a world famous Boston hospital less than three weeks after having called the surgeon's office to schedule an initial evaluation.
A few years ago I,out of curiosity,did some research on Canada's health care system by spending time on British Columbia's official health care website.Among the things I learned is that in BC (don't know if it's typical nationwide) there's at least one type of *heart surgery* (no details as to exactly what kind of surgery) for which one can wait up to *one year*.Having worked for a world famous Boston hospital for almost 30 years (the same one where I had my hips done) I can guarantee you that it's very unusual for patients to wait *days* for *any* kind of heart surgery.
Lastly,a few years ago I read that the Premiere of one of your provinces (Newfoundland,IIRC) needed heart surgery.As a powerful,important man he surely could have had it done in Montreal,Toronto,Vancouver...*anywhere* in Canada.But,instead,he decided to have it done in the US.IIRC that was big news in Canada when it happened.
Canada's an outstanding country populated (almost entirely) by outstanding people.But in my humble opinion you deserve a better health care system than the one you have.
Hopefully you'll get your new knee very soon.Once you get it I can guarantee that you'll thank your lucky stars for it,as I do for each of my new hips.Knee pain will quickly become just a distant memory.
Jeez hang in Judy.
Don’t know where you are at in Canada, but if you are near Montana and want the name of some good ortho people, drop a line.
The problem with that offer is that the artificial knee itself would cost somewhere in the vicinity of $10,000...and then there's the hospital's charges,the surgeon's charges...
Of course that's assuming she doesn't have a US health insurance plan (which,I suspect,few Canadians do).
A total knee replacement is about $16,000 at the Surgery Center of Oklahoma. They post their prices online: https://surgerycenterok.com/pricing/total-knee-arthroplasty-knee-replacement/
Why do you need a knee replacement? Maybe you don’t? Have you gotten a second opinion?
My knee is bone-on-bone. There is a gel of some kind that can be injected, but I have done some reading and if you are bone-on-bone then it doesn’t adhere to anything and doesn’t help. It’s painful to use and is really restricting me. Sadly, I don’t even have the option of getting off of their list and paying to have it done privately.
Will somebody from up there give us some rates? Just a gross salary and the percentage the government takes.
This what part of a free-market health-care system would look like
Also remember Canada only has a population of about 35 million people. We have 324 million. If it won’t work in Canada it sure won’t work here.
It it ever worked in Canada, it would have been before it become more multi-cultural.
Yes so true. These kinds of health systems can work in very small homogeneous countries but not in a country like the US.
Canada medical care sucks, and those that like it don’t have a clue what they are missing.
For instance, MRI machines, a common item in American hospitals that afford same day, even same hour, imaging are in very short supply in Canada where MRI imaging is rationed with “wait lists”.
“For instance, Japan and the United States have 35.3 and 19.5 MRI units per million population, respectively, whereas Canada has only 4.6. (Stein 2005). The number of MRI scanners in Canada is lower than the median of 6.1 scanners per million for all countries within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Stein 2005).”
” Sadly, I don’t even have the option of getting off of their list and paying to have it done privately.”
-—— If it’s financial,I get it,but what other reason would prevent you from paying to have it done privately?
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We don’t have that option. I would have to go down to America, which is not an option.
Thanks,Judy.
Governments seem to care about only one thing-——governing. The people are an annoyance.
Good luck to you.
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Take a look at possibly regrowing cartilage. Here’s an article from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/news/20060309/coaxing-knee-cartilage-to-regrow
I read a lot of articles that point to making dietary changes also: Eliminate sugar and breads. Eat more collagen and take colloidal mineral supplement including trace minerals.
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