Rand Paul Heading To Canada, Land Of Universal Health Care, For Surgery

Yahoo ^ | 1/15 | Mary Huffenpuss

[TangledUpInBlue]

Ardent foe of socialized medicine Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is planning to undergo hernia surgery this month in Canada, where medical care is publicly funded and universally provided.

Paul, who is not covered by the Canadian health care system, will pay out of pocket for the operation, an aide told Politico. The surgery is set to take place at Shouldice Hernia Hospital in Ontario, a “world renowned hospital,” the senator’s spokeswoman Kelsey Cooper said.

Information about the surgery, scheduled for Jan. 21, was revealed in court papers in Paul’s civil lawsuit against neighbor Rene Boucher, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported.

According to Paul, the surgery — which will cost as much as $8,000 — is linked to injuries he suffered in 2017 when Boucher attacked him as he mowed his lawn. Boucher pleaded guilty last year to attacking Paul in a dispute over yard care and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

[hellinahandcart]

It’s true, people have tried to kill Rand Paul twice in the last two years.

He’s suffered a lot. If he wants to get his hernia fixed at a HERNIA HOSPITAL anywhere in the world, a person would have to be super petty to have a problem with that.

[TangledUpInBlue]

Biggest word in that identical article? OUTPATIENT surgery. LOL!

[Buckeye McFrog]

Yahoo ^ | 1/15| Mary Huffenpuss

Life in high-school must have been brutal for that girl.

[so_real]

Before throwing Rand Paul under the bus, consider that the article makes this about the difference between private medicine and social medicine. That's a false premise.

This is more about FDA strangulation. There are robotics available to the rest of the world (I know based upon my research regarding touchless PRK - photorefractive keratectomy) that are not available in the USA because they have not paid to get FDA approval on the device ... an FDA "tax". It makes more sense to go to Canada to get your eyes fixed than stay in the USA because the tools available in Canada are superior. Rand Paul may well have done his homework and found the same for hernia.

Don't let the media frame this as "Rand Paul Bad Man" or "Socialized Medicine Good Deal". Under the covers this is really about FDA overreach.

[Roccus]

For a hernia? It’s like getting your tonsils out.

Oh, so now you're a doctor as well as an anonymous FR BS artist.

[Vendome]

Why?

[free_life]

He is smart enough to go the best private hospital for the procedure he needs.....it happens to be in Canada.

[aumrl]

‘non mesh’ repair

[Jimmy Valentine]

He is going to a private clinic and will pay out of pocket. Yahoo lies.

[SC DOC]

Mr. Paul will pay a lot less for his surgery in Ontario than he would in the states.

Not Everywhere

[Valpal1]

Having researched Shouldice when my husband needed a hernia fixed (uninsured) I can tell you that this is a reasonable and intelligent choice both for cost and superior expertise and care.

Yahoo’s “up to $8000) is BS, it will be less than half of that unless this involves a mesh removal instead of simple repair.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Geez - I did fine with it just down the road in Atlantic City last year - laproscopic robo-surgery and all the rest - seems like a long way to go and a lot to pay for something that’s usually not a big problem.....

[YogicCowboy]

Well said.

[Kickass Conservative]

He probably doesn’t want to take the chance that a Democrat Doctor here might murder him on the Table.

[FreedomNotSafety]

It is perverse but some countries with universal care have superb private care. They have dual systems. Plus when you cross borders you usually end up not being able to sue.

I know a superb urologist/surgeon who moved to Spain where he now performs his excellent surge prices at 1/4th his US price.

[FreedomNotSafety]

surgeries at 1/4th his US prices