Even as the American Medical Association continues their relentless assault against the medical market through restrictions on both provider and consumer, Canadians finally seem to be warming up to the idea that perhaps government doesn’t do things best.
Until recently, it was illegal to pursue private healthcare. Candians feared that if people were allowed to pay for their own care, then doctors would leave for the private sector, and the poor would suffer. Due to government incompetence and poor compensation, Canadian healthcare is instead a quagmire of poor quality, excessively long waiting lists (even for urgently needed procedures), and a doctor shortage. So everyone suffers. Which is of course preferable.
The Canadian physicians were meeting in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, which is a wonderful place to vacation. A few years ago, we stayed there at a B&B, and the owner relayed a story of his need for a cardiologist to monitor his heart condition. When he moved from Ottawa to PEI, since he was new to the province, he was told that he was number 609 in the queue to be seen by a cardiologist, which the provincial health authorities estimated meant a wait of about two years. — Arnold Kling, Cato Institute
While the AMA continues their love affair with government, their Canadian counterpart has just elected Dr. Brian Day, head of the largest (technically illegal) private hospital in Canada. I think it’s fairly safe to say that the opinion of Canadian doctors — and many citizens — is starting to turn away from socialized medicine.
They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again no matter how many times it fails. With every major socialized healthcare system in the world (including Medicaid) in danger of collapse, why do so many on the left continue to champion it?
It’s all rather amusing.
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Doctor Barnett
Aug 25, 2006
(doctor is just a screen name; I’m proudly B.S.)
Then health care everywhere sucks. I don’t know anyone who’s happy with US-style insurance except those who profit from it. (So, half the country.) For the rest of us we either don’t have it and can’t afford early 20th century procedures like the x-ray, or do have it but have a hard time using it. What’s permitted, what isn’t, oops I was billed when I shouldn’t have been, endless phone calls… and that’s with “good” insurance.
I just want to go to a doctor and have reasonable procedures performed for a reasonable price. Insurance, and the sense that everyone is entitled to the latest wildly expensive technologies, has distorted the market so that the even basic medicine requires either a mountain of cash or paperwork. Forgive liberals, and everyone else, for the insanity of looking for a better way.
chelle
Aug 26, 2006
Now that I have experienced both sides of the border and health care. I would take Canada’s need-to-be-repaired health care over the insanely priced, high stress, fight for everything system the US has.
Americans have no idea how much more relaxed and stress free Canadians truly are. The system may need work, but it is not screwing every the common person.
Just my thoughts
Thanks again for the support!
Michael Hampton
Aug 26, 2006
From what I can see, the Canadian system screws everyone equally — and worse than even the poorest Americans. This is somehow better?
Aug 27, 2006
OK so I’m not really a cowboy. » Understanding The Medical Market
Nikhil Rao
Aug 27, 2006
to claim that US-style insurance is anything like a free market is ridiculous. It’s a product of government interventionism, especially in the case of ‘private’ insurance.
Your employer chooses your insurance. And you get no say in what level of insurance you want. Medicare and medicaid under-compensate. And only about 30% of the uninsured pay their bills. Add it all together and the ‘consumer’ gets the shaft.
BTW, I’ll take american style over socialized any day of the week. At least I will be seen and be treated within a reasonable amount of time.
When your lumbar vertebral bodies are degenerating, pinching your sciatic nerves and causing intense pain and weakness down your leg, you’d want to get that fixed as soon as possible. Especially since if it’s not attended to quickly enough it can cause permanent nerve damage to the leg.
When I left London, wait times were around 1 year. I doubt they’re any better in Canada.