from Canada...obviously he's not happy w/ the level of care rec'd in the states so he's 'fled' to Canada to receive care instead? What a slap in the face.

than normal people are.

know the word...............

Federal employees have at least eleven different providers last I checked. I'm sure he won't get squat for this. It just makes no sense to me to go somewhere else for a him to travel a long way for a rather common surgery. Maybe they got something new, maybe not. Mondays are a good day for conspiracy theories so I'll invent one. He wants to meet his Russian handler outside of the USA to avoid scrutiny. There. Of course the real reason is he's bat shit crazy, which we all know. The real question is how in the hell does he keep getting elected?

that's at the top of the field needed for the surgery, although this doesn't really ring true w/ me. I would think that the Canadians are on top of the ballgame so if he's meeting a Russian handler, I'd be surprised that he picked Canada for the meeting. I'd go to Mexico instead. Canada if you recall, built their security services along the lines of the British Secret Service, which does have a good reputation.

Maybe his deductibles have already been maxed out, and thereby, he's saving money? I kind of doubt this.

That is a hell of a long way to go for hernia surgery. It is not stated what type of hernia surgery it is (inguinal, abdominal, etc.), but most hernia surgeries are done on an out patient basis. In, done, and in maybe two to three hours, go home. Even with supportive mesh implants, etc.

Yeah, I smell a rat.

spill the secrets...

Paul is going to a specialized surgery center. “Shouldice Hernia Hospital markets itself as "the global leader in non-mesh hernia repair," according to the clinic's website.“

Spine implant? Hair plugs? Maybe it is something embarrassing, he does not want revealed??

Go to your inbred state of Kentucky. There's a hernia center at the U.

https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/services/hernia-program

And I for one, don't appreciate those kinds of comments. I didn't vote for the jerk, or McConnell.

I think the folks at KY are on bad meth if they are still voting against their interests.

I'm Canadian too. We don't need this kind of painting with an over sized brush. Your comments could probably be applied just as well to people from Ontario because enough of them voted against their own interest by voting Conservative to wind up with Doug Ford as premier. This place can get chippy enough without help from us. After all, we're the ones who like to think of ourselves as the voice of reason. Please leave the categorillas to others.

He should NOT be allowed to simply slip by with this dishonest, shabby, hypocritical action, while insisting people in the US do not deserve better health service like Canada's.

Socialism is bad for everybody but me!! And while I don't condone beating up one's neighbors because they don't like the way they maintain their yards, I still don't feel all that terrible about Rand Paul getting his ass kicked.

Congress gets the best healthcare for free for life.

As More Americans Have Surgeries Overseas, US Companies Consider 'Medical Tourism' a Health Care Option

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/americans-surgeries-overseas-us-companies-medical-tourism-health/story?id=20423011

It's becoming more common as costs in the US have gotten out of control

because Trump gave Rand a chunk of his ferret for his head.

But I'll be damned if I didn't laugh out loud!

you need a break once in a while.

I still remember the first time Rand was elected Senator, he went on the Rachel Maddow show. She tore him a new asshole, had him blubbering gibberish.

Fucking Libertarians are just glorified white supremacists.

Still, no rational reason for beating up on that poor hypocrite. Sometimes one's gut just tells you what is right...

It should cover the reason that Rand Paul wants to go to Canada. There may be something legit going on. I don't know what that could be. But, we need more details before we pile on with the hypocrisy talk.

Or maybe he expect the government to be shutdown through the end of January, so he can get in a Canadian vacation. Things like that.

because they believe the reoccurrence rate for non-mesh repair is too high.

He will also have to pay all costs out of his pocket unless his insurance covers it because he is not a Canadian citizen

needed more info

Surface reading is fun, but it's a shame that it isn't what it looks like at first blush. The FAQ section of the clinic's website spells out exactly what you're saying, specifically addressing US and other non-Canadian patients.

All everyone is doing here is making themselves looking foolish.

which produces superior healthcare results because their healthcare providers can focus on their work instead of dealing with the bureaucratic health insurance industry.

he really can't find a US hospital to fix his hernia? We routinely perform thousands of these procedures a month. He has insurance that we provide for him, even if he can't provide it for us. But he's going to spend $4k-$8k of his own (or the defendant's) money in Canada. You know, that surgery in the US would cost tens of thousands of dollars. Same surgery. But he has insurance...hmmm...

It is not a private hospital he is attending. We do not have private hospitals in Canada. We do not have private medicine. By keeping out private medicine, the wealthy and the powerful have to use the same hospitals as the rest of us, which is a good way to maintain their standards.

Paul will pay, but he will receive the same standard and level of healthcare that is provided to all Canadians, with no charge

Rand Paul will simply be paying to go into one of those "socialist" hospitals, just like all Canadians do.

He will receive the same level of care as we do - a standard that Republicans often try to criticize and belittle. I'm sure that he will pay many thousands less than he would pay in a US hospital, though not the zero dollar charge that all Canadians receive.

Any medication in Canada will also be a fraction of the price.

Thank you for the clarification and education. I knew Canada was top-notch. Didn't realize it was this top-notch.

You know, a personal story, if I may. Earlier this fall, we had our first trip EVER to Canada planned. We had bought plane tickets, hotel stay, lift tickets, rental car, and ski rentals. We bought our park entry pass. Literally the day before we left, I got diagnosed with a medical condition that, while not life-threatening, was certainly threatening my health if complications were to arise. I went to my GP in tears, from pain as well as frustration. We had not taken a family vacation in 3 years. My kids were so excited. A rational person would have stayed home. My GP, a travel medicine specialist heard where we were going and recommended that we go anyway.

One, she was confident she was providing the best possible treatment for my condition whether I was home or abroad. But, she said, "If you were to really develop something horrible, you could not be in a better place in the world. Just get yourself to a facility, you'll get the care you need, and work out payment later. It would still be cheaper than you pay here in the US with insurance."

We loved Canada (we were in Banff). My kids regularly ask when we are moving there. Nicest people I think I have ever met. Beautiful. Great skiing. Wish we could learn something from you all.

Instead of the dirty hands of "socialism"?

Kelsey Cooper, a spokeswoman for Paul, said the hospital is privately owned and people come from around the globe for their services. The hospital's website outlines payments it accepts, including cash, check or credit card for those patients who are not covered by Ontario's insurance plan for its residents or a provincial health insurance plan.
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/14/rand-paul-neighbor-attack-senator-have-surgery-canada/2568200002/

I wonder if the private pays get to jump the queue?

This is not life-threatening (hence why he waited so long), and there is no reason to jump the queue or jump the shark. This is not some rare problem, and he does not have some hugely compromising health conditions.

He knows the backlash is coming and you know it's impossible to justify leaving the country for this surgery.

So making this choice is deeply rooted in arrogance.

"Paul is suing for $4,000 in medical costs related to the attack but said the final amount "will continue to be updated through trial and will certainly include the hernia surgery that is currently scheduled to take place in Ontario, Canada."

He's suing the guy who attacked him.

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/14/rand-paul-neighbor-attack-senator-have-surgery-canada/2568200002/

Oh and fuck him for being such a hypocrite.

in cash ( or credit card)

Today the Canadian dollar is at $.75 US so he is gelling a better deal


We do have to pay taxes to fund our health system.

I pay 24-27% income tax.
+Sales tax in Canada is 5-15% depending on which province.
+Gas tax is $.65-$1.50 a US gallon + sales taxes ( Canadian $)
Gas today in my neck of the woods is
124.9/litre regular Canadian ( about $3.56 US a gallon)
135.6/litre premium Canadian ( about $3.86 US a Gallon)
138.1/litre diesel Canadian ( about $ 3.94 US a Gallon)
+$7.50 to $9.50 of a 25-pack of cigarettes + sales tax
+yearly Property tax on my home.
+++
If we had to shell out for private health insurance most of us would be royally and literally F****D

Hurry up America! Work toward a single payer system.
The rest of the world is rooting for you.

I worked in Canada a lot, damn your beer is better than ours but I was paying $6 for a bottle of beer back in 2002.

I was trying to find stats on alcohol tax but it was leading down a rabbit hole.. Ha Ha

We don't have the same sales model as the US.

Alcohol is distributed by the provinces in government run stores.

Some provinces have "off sales" that are private sellers, usually with a better selection, that are more expensive.

Here is a price list from The Yukon Government (where I live)

http://www.ylc.yk.ca/pdf/Price_List_Yukon_Liquor_Corporation_July_2016.pdf

Oh and now that pot is legal in Canada we have a government run pot shop in town ( they are soon to roll out regulations for pot shops that will buy from the government).

Check it out... https://cannabisyukon.org/homepage

Cheers

plus medical insurance premiums and medicare payroll taxes and insurance co-pays.

Why doesn't he just stay in the good 'ol USof A and get the surgery here like everyone else? But if it's about the mesh, too bad we don't have any senators to force surgeons to use better methods....

Why the heck is he a senator? He might as well just go home or to Canada eh! He isn't doing anything to help the people of Kentucky or the U.S. Another overpaid, incompetent swamp creature.

I hope the Canadian intelligence is recording and keeping an eye on his while he is there. How about putting a nice recording device in his room?

in the operating room? In America. I know if I was a Russian asset, it would concern me too.

with their "socialized" health care system.

Is it just coincidence there are three swastikas on it?

Isn't his 'sparring partner' also a physician?

Other than being very paranoid about privacy issues, it's hard to see why he would do this for a relatively routine procedure.