Debunking Canadian health care myths

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_12523427

As a Canadian living in the United States for the past 17 years, I am frequently asked by Americans and Canadians alike to declare one health care system as the better one.

Often I'll avoid answering, regardless of the questioner's nationality. To choose one or the other system usually translates into a heated discussion of each one's merits, pitfalls, and an intense recitation of commonly cited statistical comparisons of the two systems.

Because if the only way we compared the two systems was with statistics, there is a clear victor. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to dispute the fact that Canada spends less money on health care to get better outcomes.

Yet, the debate rages on. Indeed, it has reached a fever pitch since President Barack Obama took office, with Americans either dreading or hoping for the dawn of a single-payer health care system. Opponents of such a system cite Canada as the best example of what not to do, while proponents laud that very same Canadian system as the answer to all of America's health care problems. Frankly, both sides often get things wrong when trotting out Canada to further their respective arguments.

than the disaster we have here. It is the idiots in Washington plus all the special interest groups that put all the obstacles in our way.

Maybe the Canadian system could be refined some, I'm sure all can. We have nothing available to us that does not cost a fortune. It is becoming more unequal every day. The "haves" don't worry about it, the rest of us are scared to death we'll get sick. I have canceled MD appointments because of all the co-pay and deductible baloney baloney. I am on Medicare and lost my Part B supplement that was an employment benefit when I was laid off.

Younger people do not even have the Medicare option. I pay $100.00 a month from by SS check. It is for basic, no drug, no supplement to cover what straight Medicare does not.

I don't care what glitches Canada has, it has to be more fair than what we have.

be going to doctor appointments in limousines.

so what if most can't afford it even if they have access. I mean, we switched from Independent health in january to Cigna. Guess whati found out in january... that i am pregnant. it wasn't planed, believe me!! so I don't know how much of this we will be paying for... but i thank god that i didn't end up pregnant in like june or later enough that it would go over into next year and i would have to start all over to get to my deductible.

the canadian system may not be perfect. No system is perfect. But our system here seems so half ass and messed up, that almost anything has got to be better. And the idea of just mandating everyone to buy into such a system just drives me nuts. I don't know anyone without insurance who doesn't want it but just can't afford it. There is nothing more depressing than just hoping to god you don't get sick. Having your kid have a fever or something else and just holding your breath and hoping to god it isn't anything. We ended up in the ER a couple of times with Emily because we had no insurance and we were that scared. A horrible place to be.

It just doesn't make any sense. We are already paying into the system several times. We pay for our insurance. then we pay for medicaid. then we pay for the uninsured. It just has got to be more cost effective to have everyone under one single system that has all the healthy folks and the sick folks in the same pool. So when the sick person needs coverage, they are covered. they get better and are paying into the system again. then when someone else is sick, they draw from it. It makes sense to me.