The Great Canadian Free Health Care Plan

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='apparently' post='1817163' date='Mar 26 2009, 08:01 PM']The article is about a Canada man and wife whose husband dies in the Philippines tying to get life saving surgery. The doctor was a scammer who took 70K disappeared.
I’ve heard that hospitals all over Canada are closing because of the low pay grade, staffing is impossible. Also private (paid) health care is growing rapidly to take up the slack.
Conclusion, nothing worthwhile is free. Thank God for the excellent and plentiful healthcare in America. It is worth every cent![/quote]
Again, what of those in the US who cannot afford health insurance/health care, or who are denied insurance due to pre-existing conditions? It's wonderful that you have been able to afford health care for your family, but not everyone is so fortunate.

And I really don't want to go to a doctor who's only in it for the money, which is what is implied from your statement about hospitals closing (I'd also like a source, though - my knowledge of Canadian health care is not great). People in any profession who are in it just for the money don't tend to be as good, IMO. But that's just my take on it.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='apparently' post='1817163' date='Mar 26 2009, 03:01 PM']The article is about a Canada man and wife whose husband dies in the Philippines tying to get life saving surgery. The doctor was a scammer who took 70K disappeared.
I’ve heard that hospitals all over Canada are closing because of the low pay grade, staffing is impossible. Also private (paid) health care is growing rapidly to take up the slack.
Conclusion, nothing worthwhile is free. Thank God for the excellent and plentiful healthcare in America. It is worth every cent![/quote]

I have lived in the US with gold card insurance, no insurance, and HMO coverage. I have lived over 3 years under Canadian health care. US gold card is definitely the best, but I have felt much better knowing that I can have health care no matter what here in Canada. I also don't have to feel guilty that I am getting preferential treatment ahead of someone else without insurance who is in greater need of care.

People who talk about how awful health care is here haven't experienced it. I have waited 24 hours on a stretcher in a corridor in a US hospital, but have never waited longer than 30 minutes to see my doctor in Canada, and he doesn't take appointments, walk in only. I waited 48 hours to see a high risk OBGYN, about the same for each trip to the orthopedic surgeon. I got in for a mammogram in less than a day. I waited a week for a routine cardiologist visit for a stress test, and two hours for an emergency angiogram. It was 2am, and he had to drive in from home.

The only wait list I have been on is for a psychiatrist who specializes in PTSD treatment. I got in to him in 6 months. Considering I had been waiting to get into see that kind of specialist for well over a decade in the US, 6 months didn't seem like long to wait.

[add]

CANADACARE MAY HAVE KILLED NATASHA

Richardson died of an epidural hematoma -- a bleeding artery between the skull and brain that compresses and ultimately causes fatal brain damage via pressure buildup. With prompt diagnosis by CT scan, and surgery to drain the blood, most patients survive. Could Richardson have received this care? Where it happened in Canada, no. In many US resorts, yes.

[add]

CANADACARE MAY HAVE KILLED NATASHA

Richardson died of an epidural hematoma -- a bleeding artery between the skull and brain that compresses and ultimately causes fatal brain damage via pressure buildup. With prompt diagnosis by CT scan, and surgery to drain the blood, most patients survive. Could Richardson have received this care? Where it happened in Canada, no. In many US resorts, yes.

[hoosieranna]

She refused an initial offer of medical treatment, at the resort.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='apparently' post='1817700' date='Mar 27 2009, 05:39 AM']CANADACARE MAY HAVE KILLED NATASHA

Richardson died of an epidural hematoma -- a bleeding artery between the skull and brain that compresses and ultimately causes fatal brain damage via pressure buildup. With prompt diagnosis by CT scan, and surgery to drain the blood, most patients survive. Could Richardson have received this care? Where it happened in Canada, no. In many US resorts, yes.[/quote]
Despite certain potential advantages in the American model, your healthcare is very very far from perfect.
Some of the strengths of the Canadian healthcare system are some of your greatest weaknesses.

None of them are perfect by any stretch.

[Didacus]

[quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1813259' date='Mar 21 2009, 10:56 AM'][snip]
[b]
Lounge Daddy, I'm dying of laughter from that Optimus Prime poster. That's one of the greatest avatars ever.[/b][/quote]

And I bet the insurance won't let you claim it! (what will the doctor write on your death certificate?)



I thought Canada was a communist country!?!? Free everything.; including pot and abortions.


Oh well, what do I care, I'm just a lowly papist.

[Didacus]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' post='1817737' date='Mar 27 2009, 08:40 AM']Despite certain potential advantages in the American model, your healthcare is very very far from perfect.
Some of the strengths of the Canadian healthcare system are some of your greatest weaknesses.

None of them are perfect by any stretch.[/quote]

Only one health care system can guarantee everlasting life, and it ain't Canada nor the US.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Didacus' post='1817776' date='Mar 27 2009, 10:03 AM']Only one health care system can guarantee everlasting life, and it ain't Canada nor the US.[/quote]

[jeffpugh]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' post='1817737' date='Mar 27 2009, 09:40 AM']Despite certain potential advantages in the American model, your healthcare is very very far from perfect.
Some of the strengths of the Canadian healthcare system are some of your greatest weaknesses.

None of them are perfect by any stretch.[/quote]
Werd.

[quote name='Didacus' post='1817775' date='Mar 27 2009, 11:02 AM']And I bet the insurance won't let you claim it! (what will the doctor write on your death certificate?)



I thought Canada was a communist country!?!? Free everything.; including pot and abortions.


Oh well, what do I care, I'm just a lowly papist.[/quote]
lawl

[quote name='Didacus' post='1817776' date='Mar 27 2009, 11:03 AM']Only one health care system can guarantee everlasting life, and it ain't Canada nor the US.[/quote]
lawl

[Noel's angel]

Free healthcare doesn't necessarily mean long waiting lists. GPs will flag your referral as urgent if it is urgent, and routine if it is routine. I mean, there's going to be a huge difference between someone who has had a rash on their arm for 6 weeks and needs a dermatology referral and someone who has just found a lump in their breast.
You hear all sorts of horrible stories where people have had to wait 'months' for an MRI scan (which in many cases actually isn't necessary anyway), but the reality isn't like that. Sure, if you've had back pain for 6 months you will have to wait your turn but those patients who need to be seen do get bumped to the top of the list.

[CatherineM]

The gentleman who died waiting for a transplant was from here in Edmonton. There was quite a bit of coverage in the daily paper. He wasn't waiting for a transplant here, he was turned down. He was also turned down in the US. It didn't say why he was turned down, because of privacy concerns, but usually when someone is turned down for a liver transplant, it is because of substance abuse. Stanford University Hospital lists four reasons for denial:

* Extrahepatic malignancy (Cancer other than in the liver)
* Extrahepatic sepsis
* Advanced cardiopulmonary disease
* Active or recent (< 6 months) alcoholism or substance abuse