Wednesday, March 5, 2008
U.S. health care quality disproportionate to cost
Citizens of no other nation with universal health care would understand the bizarre health care concepts Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton have proposed. None would understand “purchasing affordable healthcare”. They would think fining parents who don’t buy health care for their children to be eccentric. They would think the idea of forcing people to buy health insurance strange indeed.
I talked to two Canadian officials. Nadine, Communications Officer in the office of Manitoba Health said, “I wish you guys had health insurance like we do.”
Derrick, in Canada’s office of the Federal Health Minister, thought fining people “tough to enforce.”
Canadians don’t pay for health insurance except through taxes. He agreed that if the money spent on health insurance was paid as taxes every American could be covered.
Both Obama and Clinton should call the health ministry of any nation with national health care and ask, “How should we do it? Please explain the benefits of public funding.”
I assure you they would learn that Canadians do not purchase health insurance nor are they fined if they don’t. We pay for health insurance in the same way we pay for police departments, public libraries, fire departments, namely, through public taxation. It saves us a bundle.
Public funding is not “socialized” medicine. A system in which doctors work for the government is called “socialized.” Canadian doctors work for themselves, not the government.
It is hard to understand why well traveled people like Obama and Clinton fail to understand how the health care of other nations are financed. Why don’t they pick up the phone and call Tony Clement, Canada’s Federal Health Minister?
Canadians are more than willing to help out and likely to be impressed that any American is asking for help. Do we want confusing for-profit health care, or the simplicity and “peace of mind” of the publicly funded systems of other nations?
As Michael Moore said in Sicko, “If Japan builds a better car we buy it. If France produces a better wine we drink it.”
In the same way, if another nation has a superior health care system we should adopt it! Obama rightly said, “We think there’s going to be a different way of getting there.”
Neither candidate mentions that Americans already spend enough to pay for a universal health care system — but they are not getting it. It is outrageously nutty to expect Americans to pay more.
The sad truth is they are already paying for the most expensive health care in the world!
Loading ...
Pharmacist:
Comment on 05-Mar-08 at 2:55 pm
Don’t fool yourself. The US does not have public healthcare simply for the fact that Wall Street resides in the US. Many of our top companies, employers, advertisers, and political contributors are tied to insurance, big Pharma, Medical Suppliers, and other healthcare related vendors. It’s all about the mighty dollar, which Americans are accustomed to spending, investing, and demanding that someone give them whether as wages or as government handouts.
Robert Michaels:
Comment on 06-Mar-08 at 1:35 am
America is only as good as it’s people. If we remove money for education, health, infrastructure then who will take blame for a slide into a 3rd world status ? Certainly not the conservatives who are in fact responsible.
Our Health Care is falling behind in every measurable area, yet in America the conservatives provide their dogs with better health care then they do the poor.
The attitude of :
“It’s my money by g*d and no-one is going to tell me how to spend it and I’m not telling anyone how I made it.”
is all to familiar from people who call themselves Christian’s , which today is distinctly different than the time Christianity taught that each were their brothers keeper.
Jonathan:
Comment on 06-Mar-08 at 12:53 pm
Private healtcare is ILLEGAL in Canada. That is to say if a doctor opens a clinic and sick people come to him and he treats them and they pay him it is illegal. The doctor is violating the law. Private clinics are now popping up in Canada because the government knows that people are getting the care they need. If the Canadian Government Healthcare system is so wonderful, why are there healthcare brokers in the US who arrange procedures and appointments with US doctors for Canadians. Check out http://www.timelymedical.ca/ if you don’t believe me about the medical brokers. Private payment for medical services is not allowed in Canada, only the government is allowed to pay. Therefore, while the doctors may not be directly employed by the Canadian government, their sole source of income is in fact the Canadian government. The fact that Mr. Du Bois fails to mention or doesn’t understand is that politicians want a “single payer system” because they can excercise control over you by controlling the medical care you receive. Another dirty little secret is if the government doesn’t have enough money they will have to ration medical care. In some cases that will mean deciding who lives and who dies. Instead of calling up two government officials to ask them how wonderful their program is, go survey a few thousand Canadian citizens. I suspect the answer will be very different. Don’t give me the arguement that government allready pays about 50-60% of the cost of medical care in this country allready. So you’re telling me that by involving the government MORE it will get better?
william r roy:
Comment on 07-Mar-08 at 3:27 pm
Bravo, from a physician wh served in Congress.