Quote:
Originally Posted by pjorourke
What part of FREE don't you understand?
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Well nothing’s really free. Even Canadians, know that
Even the Americans scamming the system have costs. There is the cost of acquiring a Canadian healthcard; both the cash and the time. And there is the risk of getting caught; a different kind of cost. So back to the original question, if the Canadian healthcare system is so bad, why would Americans (enough to require a strengthening of the ID process) put the effort and money into getting access?
In truth the systems are quite different and have different strengths and weaknesses. Without addressing the exceptions and outliers (the lazy man’s debate style) here is an brief outline of the Canadian system.
The Canadian system is focussed on providing essential healthcare to all of the population. The bias is to ensure all Canadians have access to basic healthcare. And at that it works very well. Canadians can go to any first line provider (an MD, a hospital, etc.) and receive medical treatment. Basic healthcare is defined by the system, so Canadians only receive services defined. Go to the doctor with the flu, the hospital with a broken leg, initial diagnosis of heart disease, cancer, etc. all covered. Coverage for services such as physiotherapy, chiropractic, RMT, etc. may or may not be covered (and to different degrees) depending on which Province you live in. Access to healthcare is guaranteed across Canada, but specific services are left to the Provinces to tailor to their needs. Probably a key to why the basic stats that Lauren quoted are relatively good in Canada.
If further access to the system, you are triaged by the primary care provider (usually and MD). They will work with the patient to get them to the appropriate specialist in a reasonable time. In theory the patient has little say in the process; you go to the specialist determined by the MD. In practice the MD will provide options based on the specific case. But there is not ultimate choice. The system isn’t set up to allow you to choose a particular specialist.
To some, this sounds scary. The “system” is in control. People will be left waiting and die. Again, without looking at exceptions, the “system” is largely in the functional control of MDs (usually an empathetic lot) and works well. I can only relate my experience, and much like Laurens’, I don’t know anyone who was denied service in a way that threatened their health. In my family there have been heart attacks, cancer, heart disease, brain haemorrhages, broken bones, cut off fingers, etc. and all were treated appropriately. Immediate access to specialists, hospitals, MRIs, etc. when required, a wait sometimes for non-critical issues. Not that some didn’t wait, and not that that waiting was uncomfortable at times, but not life threatening.
An oft overlooked element of the Canadian healthcare system is that there are within it services that are essentially private healthcare providers. When a case is made, a private healthcare provider is brought into the system (that is the Canadian healthcare system pays for the procedures); an example is the Shouldice clinic.
So the key differences seem to be in Canada you don’t need money as an individual to get healthcare, in the US you do. In the US if you have enough money you can be in total control of what services you get and from whom, in Canada the system plays a role in those decisions.
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