Canadian Health Care

Shirley- I'm sorry you "feel like an outsider" here. While it is the Canadian Health Care thread, we have welcomed many from other countries including the US. We believe that universal health care is a human right. Ours might not be a perfect system, but it is available to all, no matter what, and we think that is a a Very Good Thing.

Shirley -- I've thought "twice", as Mumayan has suggested, about replying to your post.  I try to do that every time, and try not to respond in the heat of the moment or when I'm rushing out the door with my mind on something else!

In fact, when I use my laptop (with a mouse) and my hand accidentally hits the direction pad and makes my post go "poof", I usually take that as a sign that the post shouldn't be sent after all.

I believe the thread was completely removed because it had turned almost totally political.  It was your thread, and it was made clear that non-Americans were not wanted in the discussion.  But, of course, many of us read it anyway!  We were tempted (and sometimes gave in) to correct some mis-statements, but otherwise we stayed away (yep, we knew we weren't wanted on the voyage!).  The thread really pointed out the major philosophical differences about healthcare -- not just between the U.S. and other countries, but amongst Americans yourselves.  It was enlightening.

This thread, on the other hand, does welcome everyone who wants to participate and post their thoughts.  We (as with all other countries) are trying to find ways to pay for ever-increasing healthcare costs.  I for one welcome everyone's opinion on this extremely important subject.

Hope everyone is enjoying a warm, sunny, relaxing and comfy weekend!

Linda

Shirley .. nobody thinks you're a hater.  I like you .. your passion is second to none!  And you are indeed the video queen!  Hope you're enjoying your time with the famdamily.  I was surprised the U.S. healthcare was gone the other day.  I liked it, well .. most of it.

Come on back .. if they let me in here, it's got to be open to anyone. 

Put these on   and we can pass for Canadian ... nobody will know who we are!

hugs,

Bren

Woohoo finally online again!  I was suffering!!  Awww Shirley -- You're very welcome to become an honourary Canuck!  You've never come across as a hater at all -- you are a very caring person.  Now grab a touque and start adding an extra "u" here and there in your spelling and you're one of us! 

Once upon a time in America, you could see two kinds of people on newscasts. 

The journalists worked very diligently to stay neutral and objective on any subject they were reporting on.  The idea was to present the facts as much as possible.  Even after years of viewing a good journalist, you rarely knew where they stood on issues because they presented the news, not their opinion.

The commentators on the other hand would present the official views of the station they were on.  They were a very small segment of the news, and were frequently relegated to the end of a news broadcast frequently on weekends, almost as filler on slow news days.  Even they rarely commented on controversial topics, and if a controversial opinion was ever presented, it was usually followed immediately by a commentator presenting the opposing viewpoint. 

When we went from broadcast TV that was seen as a public service to cable that is profit driven we lost some of that genteel sense of propriety and journalistic integrity. 

Stations used to recognize News divisions as a public service and did not expect these division to make a profit or for that matter to even break even. 

Cable has changed that.  The News is part of the Entertainment division.  Scary news, like scary movies, sell.  Truth has been lost in sound bites and name calling.

There are two channels that I watch for news, PBS and C-span.  PBS follows the tradition of factual reporting and civil discourse between opposing views.  C-span is the window on our democracy itself.  It is sometimes boring but one is a witness to the news rather than a manipulated sheep herded by emotion, fear and name calling.

My hope is that more people will independently verify the mush that is being spewed out by cable.  I was able to locate and post a law that was passed during the administration of John Adams that was completely mischaraterized by a "News" show.  I hope as people continually see the lies and slant of cable News, they will begin to see it for what it is, manipulation.

As a Mainer I casually follow Canadian healthcare.  I read in our local newspaper a while ago that New Brunswick contracted with our local hospital to serve Province cancer patients and a Lewiston hospital contracted with Quebec to serve their cancer patients.  I was concerned to hear of the 2005 Canadian Supreme Court decision with their famous quote, "Access to a waiting list is not access to healthcare."  http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/healthcare/

From the annual update on the status of the waiting list, I can see that the waiting times are continuing to shrink. Waiting Your Turn: Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada, 19th Edition http://www.fraserinstitute.org/researchandpublications/publications/6992.aspx

I've had long discussions with my Canadian friends and they all like their healthcare.  I really appreciate the chance to hear comments from Canadians and am grateful for your openness to sharing and discussing your system. 

It recently took me two weeks to see an oncologist in Boston for a second opinion and to see if I am eligible to enter a clinical trial.  Have you had to wait to see a specialist or to receive treatment? 

Boo

Boo, Here in Ottawa I was left on my own to find a imaging place to do my first mammogram and US.  The first place i called could only book me in 4 months.  I call several others and they were not much better. I finely found a place that could get me in, in 5 weeks.  That sounded reasonable.  But once they detected cancer the ball was rolling quite fast. 

Oh by the way, checking out this thread for the first time.

Boo -- good to hear from you!  You live in a beautiful part of the country; I've been there several times!  And good to hear that your Cdn pals are happy with their healthcare.  A large survey conducted last year showed that over 85% of Cdns are either satisfied or very satisfied with their healthcare (which of course means some aren't!).

Access here continues to be a problem -- understandable when 95% of our population is strung out along our southern border.  And wait times are fairly short in most heavily populated areas, but longer in those areas with fewer people and docs.  Our government pays the bills, but does not dictate where PCPs and specialists set up practice ( sometimes I wish it would!).

There are definitely trade-offs between our single-payer system and yours.  We don't have a hospital in every town, nor a diagostic centre on every street corner.  On the other hand, we don't worry about paying medical bills or losing our insurance coverage, or co-pays.  There's a definite advantage in not having "for profit" hospitals here.  Take a look at the Neulasta thread over in the Chemotherapy forum -- it's astounding the difference in the cost of a single shot-- not just between here and the U.S., but within the U.S. itself -- all the way from $2,600 (here) to $12,000 (there).

Our province of Ontario is seeing medical costs steadily rising until they currently consume 48% of the entire budget.  With the baby boomers (like me) moving into the "need more healthcare" zone, those costs will increase exponentially.  There have been many proposals put forward -- including user fees for every visit.  But that would result in the poorer among us staying away from the doctor's office and then requiring costly emergency care and tx for health issues that might have been avoided by seeing a PCP regularly.

I don't know what the answer is.  And regardless of your new healthcare act, and the benefits that will accrue to it, the U.S., along with every other country, is facing the same issues.

And on that dreary note, I'm going to make some lunch!!

I just flew in from St. Louis.....and boy are my arms tired!   LOL....okay, bad joke.

Regarding the clinical trial - the first series of injections went well.  The injections themselves didn't hurt too much, but one of the sites (left arm) is paining me a bit today and I've developed chills.  Nothing TOO worrisome, though.  No symptoms of zombie-ism, super-human strength, or pyrokinesis yet.

Two more series of shots (four weeks apart) and I'll be done.  I'm NED right now so I can't tell how effective it is, but if I can get through another year or two and stay NED that would be great.  I'll keep you guys posted!

E

E.  Thanks for reporting in!  Sending you a virtual kiss on the arm to make it feel better!  Sounds as though you're experiencing the usual post-vaccination symptoms.

Notself .  Yes, I'm always astounded when I see the incredible costs of maintaining the military (but 'nuff said about that -- maybe too provocative for this thread?)

Yan .  I agree, there will be tax increases.  I just learned today from a Globe & Mail article that provinces individually negotiate drug prices with the manufacturers.  That's crazy!  A federal government which represents 33 million current or potential customers could surely negotiate better prices.  And with those lower negotiated prices, maybe our single-payer system could afford to include drug coverage for the under 65's, just as they do in the U.K. and Europe.

Hi, Bren.

I bet it's just for right-thinking patriotic Conservative Americans, though I thought the idea was to get rid of political posts?  Oh well. 

The arm still hurts and now I feel nauseated *insert WHINE here*.  LOL.  A neat thing, though - the American Cancer Society has a lodge within 2 miles of the hospital and they let me stay there for free.  I'll have to give a donation when I'm done with the trial.  Wait, does getting something for free from the ACS make me a welfare case who would rather accept handouts and be dependent on other people rather than working and paying, even though I am working and paying for the flights, which are pretty expensive....?....I'm so confused.  ;-)

E

notself - LOL!  Good points!  Another aircraft-related story - I heard that the stealth bomber was originally designed to be "sky colored," thus not as easily detectable to the naked eye, but somebody (Congress?  military?) wanted it to be black because it was, um, "manlier."  

lindasa - thanks for the virtual kiss, and it does feel better!  I agree with your points about purchasing prescription drugs.  Is there a reason why the provinces negotiate separately? 

I think E may be a Socialist, perhaps even a Commie!

E -- nope, definitely not a socialist!  The ACS is a *charity", remember?!!

So, a wee bit of historical data about cancer lodges.  The idea was thought of, and brought to life, by an American-turned-Canadian, Ruth Frankel.  The first lodge was built in Toronto, just behind Princess Margaret Hospital/Ontario Cancer Institute, and subsequent lodges were built in other parts of Ontario where cancer tx were given.  Dear Mrs Frankel was born in Chicago and actually attended university with those soundrels Leopold and Loeb (no, she couldn't abide them, they were scary people).  She married a Canadian steel industrialist (Frankel Steel) and became a cancer "godmother" to many, many patients and was a driving force behind the development of the Canadian Cancer Society.  How do I know this?  I began my volunteer life at PMH Lodge and knew her well.  The ACS thought these lodges were a pretty good idea, and I'm delighted that you were (and are) able to stay in the one in St. Louis.  Yes, a donation would be most appreciated, I'm sure.

Go ahead and whine, sweetie!  The pain will go away faster!  And here's a hug to go along with that kiss (((((((Enjoyful))))))

Edited to add:  The reason the provinces currently negotiate separately is because their healthcare dollars are distributed by the feds separately, and they are allowed to devise their own drug formularies -- which means that a new drug might be added to the Ontario formulary before the other provinces add it to theirs, for example.