Quote:
Originally Posted by pjorourke
The only reason yours doesn't suck is that you have us nearby to handle your excess demand. That will change.
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Funny how you bypass the whole mutual respect of different ideas and cultures :P
One nice thing about being in Canada is the only country that boarders us is the US. I can't imagine what would happen if we had a country like Mexico on the other side of a large boarder. We certainly don't have the same weight off massive illegal immigration to challenge us.
Truth is, most of our country is by the standards of the average person absolutely uninhabitable, which I think is a saving grace. It keeps our population low and scattered near the southern end of every province.
The fear of dying while you are waiting is frankly bullshit. If you need an emergency operation same day, you get it. I've had it happen for many relatives where they were operated on immediately upon going to the emergency room. My ex bf recently had a tumor discovered and MRI tests, biopsy's and specialists were lined up IMMEDIATELY - at no cost and no wait. The same was done when a relative was suspected of having TB. I myself have had several medical emergencies and never had to wait if there was a threat to my health in doing so.
If you CAN wait, you WILL wait because someone else is probably in more need then you. However, if you don't believe your doctors or are panicked and want to get it over with as soon as possible (and fear/panic is understandable when you're ill) you do have the option of going to the US and paying. The only case I know of anyone doing that was someone who needed a specialized eye surgery that was only in trials within the US boarders.
Unfortunate cases of waiting are never life threatening - that's just propaganda and the words of people with health issues in panic. Waits do happen, and are generally centered around things like a hip replacement - where it is debilitating but not life threatening.
And as far as "waiting till you die", we never have someone die because they couldn't afford treatment, which is a very real problem in your country. I think that counts as waiting for death too.
There is no perfect system, but I think it's a matter of human dignity and moral conscience that people who cannot afford treatment are able to get it.
Now on this idea of how many Canadians are going to the US for care, I would very much like to see unbiased statistical data, as the World Health Organization for quality care we are ranked at 30 and the US is ranked at 37. When it comes down to real life people I have talked to, not the claims of reporters who don't really care about facts, I hear far many stories of people immigrating to the US, only to move BACK to Canada when a major health issue strikes, particularly in cases where ongoing care is needed.
Canada's stats:
Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 3,672
Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 78/83
Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 70/74
Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 6
Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 89/55
Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 10.0
US stats:
Gross national income per capita (PPP international $): 44,070
Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 75/80
Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2003): 67/71
Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births): 8
Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 137/80
Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2006): 6,714
Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2006): 15.3
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