I have never voted NDP in my life. However, seeing that the so called Liberal Party in BC is really the old Social Credit Party reborn and hence (I assume) belongs to the far right), I probably would vote NDP as well, if I had been living in BC.
What's right about our health-care system
- Thread starter #juan
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I have never voted NDP in my life. However, seeing that the so called Liberal Party in BC is really the old Social Credit Party reborn and hence (I assume) belongs to the far right), I probably would vote NDP as well, if I had been living in BC.
Anna You are a beauty.
307 days average wait for hip replacement(AVERAGE).
Almost a year is a short inconvinience in the eyes of SJP.
Niether of you mentioned any thing about extra billings .
You know reports for WCB the lawyer or insurance company.
They must be added to the bottom line,and no the gov't does not set the rate.
Keep up the good work Anna don"t let people put words in your mouth.
307 days average wait for hip replacement(AVERAGE).
Almost a year is a short inconvinience in the eyes of SJP.
Niether of you mentioned any thing about extra billings .
You know reports for WCB the lawyer or insurance company.
They must be added to the bottom line,and no the gov't does not set the rate.
Keep up the good work Anna don"t let people put words in your mouth.
Jaun: you had a good idea starting out with what is good with our system but So far as I can see we keep comparing our mediocre system to the piss poor US one and this will not gain us anything. We should be comparing to superior systems around the world and looking for ways to make ours the #1 system not #30 which is still better than the US # 37 (Macleans magazine) I have lots of problems with our system starting with the concept that it is free- It is not. Most of the others have to do with built in inefficiencies created by empire building bureaucrats and union rules.
Given the geography and the population of our country, other systems would have the same problems as we experience. Our system is further complicated by our having separate provinces and territories with independant systems that don't mesh with each other for some reason. Canada might do better with one system for all.
This is your main problem, you have to start thinking and doing things as Canadians, not Albertans or what ever Province you come from. Any health system that we develop in the U.S. will have one thing you do not have right from the start, and that would be total portability in what ever state or U.S. possession you are in. Not having to pay more or less in different places.
Ironsides, regionalism is very strong in Canada, much more so than in USA. The West in general hates Ontario, mainly because of its population and its strong influence on federal politics. All the English speaking provinces hate Québec because of the language differences.
There is plenty of mistrust between provinces. There is more commerce between provinces and USA than there is between provinces. When PM appoints his cabinet, he has to make sure that all the regions are represented (in USA your president doesn’t have to worry about getting representation from east, west, south etc.). The seats on Supreme Court are awarded on provincial bases. If a justice from Quebec retires, he must be replaced by another from Quebec.
If you look at it one way, Canada is a ramshackle country, yet somehow the country manages to stay together. I remember one quote by Al Bundy (that show sometimes used to say profound things, in spite of the absurdity of the show).
“There have been very few truly good scams in history. Loch Ness Monster, Canada.”
I agree. And I think that a combination of private and public insurance would be best. Also, a reward system for those institutions that have better quality care. You don't keep up the standards in your clinic or whatever, you only get the minimum allowable to operate.
We fought a 'Civil War" over regionalism, had that concept beaten out of us. That was a good line.
We fought a 'Civil War" over regionalism, had that concept beaten out of us. That was a good line.
In Canada if a province doesn’t get what it wants, it is routine to talk about separation. It is not only Québec which does that, Alberta does too. There is a separatist movement in Alberta.
Recently Newfoundland was not getting what it wanted from the federal government, so there was some talk of Newfoundland separating (it didn’t come to anything, of course).
I'm for shorter lineups - take the rich out of the line and the poor get treated faster and better.
Our current system is completely unsustainable, if the private sector does not join in how are we going to pay for it other than through deficit spending?
Our current system is completely unsustainable, if the private sector does not join in how are we going to pay for it other than through deficit spending?
Being diabetic i probably wouldnt qualify for the American style Medical insurance as they would use the Diabetes as a pre existing condition,the two operations i have coming up would probably lay waste to my life savings in the USA,here in Canada it wont cost a dime over what tax contributions to the universal health care system i've made.
Surgery postponed indefinitely for 1,000 Kelowna patients
CBC News - Health - Cancer patients question why PET scan not covered
BC Medical Association: Waiting Too Long for Hip and Knee Surgery Costs $10,000 Per Patient-Maximum Wait Times Should Be No Longer Than 6 Months
CTV News | Ont. physician turns away patient for being 55+
Why Canadians Purchase Private Health Insurance by Walter Williams -- Capitalism Magazine
Doctor defends private cancer clinic
Patients shouldn't wait more than 8 weeks for cardiac defibrillator: experts
London Free Press: Canada's drug tab reaches $22 billion, report suggests
Access to specialists difficult: study
Doctor shortages, frustrations vary from region to region, survey shows
Canada falling short on medical imaging
The Problems with Socialized Health Care
Architect of Canadian Healthcare system admits that it has failed | Kevin Colby: News and Political blog
Task Force on the Funding of the Health System - Report
The Canadian System Failed Natasha Richardson
Canadian health care: a personal story of tragedy
CBC News - Health - Cancer patients question why PET scan not covered
BC Medical Association: Waiting Too Long for Hip and Knee Surgery Costs $10,000 Per Patient-Maximum Wait Times Should Be No Longer Than 6 Months
CTV News | Ont. physician turns away patient for being 55+
Why Canadians Purchase Private Health Insurance by Walter Williams -- Capitalism Magazine
Doctor defends private cancer clinic
Patients shouldn't wait more than 8 weeks for cardiac defibrillator: experts
London Free Press: Canada's drug tab reaches $22 billion, report suggests
Access to specialists difficult: study
Doctor shortages, frustrations vary from region to region, survey shows
Canada falling short on medical imaging
The Problems with Socialized Health Care
Architect of Canadian Healthcare system admits that it has failed | Kevin Colby: News and Political blog
Task Force on the Funding of the Health System - Report
The Canadian System Failed Natasha Richardson
Canadian health care: a personal story of tragedy
After reading through this thread I have to say that there seems to be a lot of misinformation if not disinformation circulating about Canadian Health Care, at least as I have experienced it. Presumably this will abate somewhat if and when the US gets its house in order one way or the other.
While I'm not interested in arguing the pros and cons of Canadian vs. US healthcare or in cutting and pasting quotes taken out of context, or trolling websites in search of "facts" to support my POV, I will relate that outside of a single incident 11 years ago (which had more to do with an ER doctor's arrogance and laziness) I have never had any significant problem with our system. I live in Lethbridge AB (certainly not a major centre) and in 51 years I've never had a long wait time for any appointment or procedure, from orthopedic to cataract surgery to specialists' visits. When my mother was diagnosed with cancer last year, the 3 week wait time for surgery was caused more by her insistence on being treated here in Lethbridge rather than Calgary. Alberta no longer charges health care premiums, and I purchase supplementary insurance through Alberta Blue Cross (prescription coverage with low co-pay some dental and other benefits) for $41 per month.
I have seen some very condescending statements from Americans (Canadian doctors not as experienced, service not as good) and defensiveness from Canadians. Why do you care what Americans think? They'll do whatever they decide to do, and then convince themselves all over again that they have the first, best....well, everything really, because that's what they're taught.
We have a good system here that nevertheless has some real problems and needs improvement.
PS - AnnaG, your last post looks suspiciously like those of someone calling him or herself Trinity on another site. I hope I'm wrong, and apologize if I am.
While I'm not interested in arguing the pros and cons of Canadian vs. US healthcare or in cutting and pasting quotes taken out of context, or trolling websites in search of "facts" to support my POV, I will relate that outside of a single incident 11 years ago (which had more to do with an ER doctor's arrogance and laziness) I have never had any significant problem with our system. I live in Lethbridge AB (certainly not a major centre) and in 51 years I've never had a long wait time for any appointment or procedure, from orthopedic to cataract surgery to specialists' visits. When my mother was diagnosed with cancer last year, the 3 week wait time for surgery was caused more by her insistence on being treated here in Lethbridge rather than Calgary. Alberta no longer charges health care premiums, and I purchase supplementary insurance through Alberta Blue Cross (prescription coverage with low co-pay some dental and other benefits) for $41 per month.
I have seen some very condescending statements from Americans (Canadian doctors not as experienced, service not as good) and defensiveness from Canadians. Why do you care what Americans think? They'll do whatever they decide to do, and then convince themselves all over again that they have the first, best....well, everything really, because that's what they're taught.
We have a good system here that nevertheless has some real problems and needs improvement.
PS - AnnaG, your last post looks suspiciously like those of someone calling him or herself Trinity on another site. I hope I'm wrong, and apologize if I am.
My wife is a doctor, and she tells me that once the cancer is diagnosed, things move very quickly. Cat Scan (to see how far the cancer is spread), surgery, chemotherapy etc. are done in short order, after cancer is diagnosed.
Canada has one of the highest cancer survival rates in the world.
Quite so, many Americans think that they have the best system in the world, in spite of the fact that they spend much more than any other country and have poor results to show for it. It is just patriotism on their part, nothing more. I think it was very astute and far sighted on the part of Obama to proclaim that American system has some serious problems, that if nothing is done, it will become unaffordable to many in the middle class in a few years’ time and the number of uninsured will skyrocket.
He had the courage to tell Americans what they didn’t want to hear. I do hope Democrats pass some kind of health care reform.