“We are at a point where the current system simply is not sustainable. There isn’t enough money, and there aren’t enough people.”
What country is this? Why, it’s Canada! But wait, I thought single-payer was the answer to all that ails us . . .
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{ 8 comments }
One of the comments caught my eye:
“The health system has been allowed to get out of control by overuse. Just visit an outpatients after closing hours to see the frivelous [sic] demands for band-aids from slivers to blisters….”
Sound familiar?
It’s not really an argument against single payer at all. The piece is good but reads more like a critique of an inefficient HMO — however that HMO just happens to be the only health care provider in Canada. And, well, we all know when it comes to healthcare an HMO model almost rewards inefficiency and bureaucracy.
You still have to look at the big picture. THEY COVER EVERYONE. THEY STILL SPEND LESS PER CAPITA THAN WE DO. HEALTHCARE IS NOT ALMOST 1/4 OF THEIR GDP.
It just shows what they get alarmed at and what we are ok about…..If they spent I’d say 15% more a person and started to hire more primary care docs, the abuses listed in that paper would prob be addressed. They’d still be a lot more efficient than us.
Moreover, it’s even more intriguing that they cite “waste” and “excess” as their problems — i.e. too many expensive supplies and pharm driven non-necessities. From what we’re forced to think about single payer, hospitals are forced to re-use band-aids!
Again, the VA and Medicare are essentially single payer models who seem to do ok cost wise and patient care wise because they are better able to spread risk (Medicare) over LOTS of people and create efficiencies (VA electronic medical records) that our bloated health care is not able to do.
-lethealthcarebegood.
“THEY COVER EVERYONE.”
I see you firmly believe this, which is nice, and makes for good numbers. The important question, however, is, do they cover people to the degree needed? The answer there seems different. Maybe the governement can’t manage appropriate medical utilization?
Any business (and I do mean any) is more efficient than the government, largely because competition forces it upon them. Where is the impetus driving government toward efficiency? From the taxpayers?
“THEY COVER EVERYONE.”
Yes, but universal coverage without physician access is not worth the card it’s printed on.
The Democratic candidates and many on the left fail to see this point.
Kevin
Regarding lethealthcarebegood’s comment: “If they spent I’d say 15% more a person and started to hire more primary care docs, the abuses listed in that paper would prob be addressed.”
Two thoughts:
On “15% more a person”: Given Canada’s famously high taxes, where would those good citizens get the additional money to send to their government so that it could channel an additional 15% into healthcare? Alternatively, how will reducing the quality of Canadian citizens’ life styles to enable them to give additional money to their government affect their lives? (There is no such thing as “government money.” All money must be taken from people. Government does not have money, it spends its citizen’s money by force of law and regulation.)
On “started to hire more primary care docs”; is there a large pool of unemployed primary care doctors in Canada waiting to be hired?
It is easy to wave ones hand and decree “more money!” “more doctors!” (Just listen to our current presidential candidates.) Regrettably, this does not cause the money or the doctors to materialize. Nor does this obviate the negative effects of taking more money from working people to increase the power of the government.
the comments from the citizens who read the article sums up what universal healthcare causes. No one can reach their physician. Others take advantage of the health care system. One person says she leaves for another country. Imagine implementing a similar system with a much larger population. It would fail quickly and horribly.
I always hear about how “they” spend so much less on healthcare than the USA. “They” being Canada, UK, take your pick.
Why don’t they spend more, to make things “perfect”? Heaven knows, they’re not spending on their military, so there should be plenty of money left over.
Study the issue, my liberal friends, before speaking. The Canadian health care system is collapsing, the government is turning a blind eye to “for profit” clinics popping up all over Canada because the current system cannot keep up. The laws of economics hold true for the Canadian system; anything free is always overconsumed. If you have a serious health issue in Canada, you will get care, but just ask the folks with cancer waiting 4 months to start treatment if they are satisfied with their health care system. 2 years ago I had a dear friend who died of breast cancer waiting for her first treatment…….
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