With 'universal' health care, we all wait - Tristan Emmanuel

[Connie Fournier]

<center>With 'universal' health care, we all wait</center>

By Tristan Emmanuel

As the primaries loom closer, we can expect the Democratic presidential hopefuls to start singing their usual sanctimonious song about the health care system. You probably know the lines:
40 million citizens turned down;
No insurance to go around;
Emergency wards on hold;
Poor kicked out in the cold.;
America . immoral . immoral . immoral!

Taking their cue from Michael Moore, these do-gooder Democrats are also sure to sing the praises of Canada's health care system.

But I'm here to tell you their song sheet has some serious omissions - somehow they fail to mention the brain-drain, the bloated bureaucracy and a waiting lists so long it has become a driveway to the morgue.

Big government advocates tell us Canada's system is public, accessible and free. And many Canadians believe them. In fact, some stake their national identity on it. It is, we are told, what distinguishes Canadians from the brute reality that is American individualism.

Read more go: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/artic ... E_ID=56522

Please go to the link and read the rest, and please share this with your friends. It is wonderful to have Tristan contributing to WorldNetDaily, so please send them traffic!

[Connie Fournier]

Bump!

[rsf]

waiting lists so long it has become a driveway to the morgue.

That is not true and Rev. Emmanual is bearing false witness.

In fact its borders on moral treason to spread such misleading information about your own country.

If you are talking to Tristan ... ask him when he is going to have another "Support Bush" rally. This time he could hold the rally in a corvette.

[muncher]

I can only talk from personal experience

ECG same day, Xray same day, Nuclear stress test in 5 days, Angioplasty...in 2 days, Cat scan less than a week as an outpatient....same day when I was admitted.
My friend was in an accident......knee reconstruction in a couple of days.....

My wife needs a cataract operation....her appointment is in a month.

Im sure there are isolated cases that fall through the cracks. Im sure that the American system and our health care could use some fixing.

We have to wait too long to see a specialist....but in an emergency you see them quickly. We have to wait too long for elective non life threatening surgery but wait times are getting better.
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/transformat ... c_mn.html#


Depending on where you live wait times are longer because there are not as many facilities available.

Does it cost us? Hell yes but no one can cut us off because we lost our insurance.

[Connie Fournier]

If you are talking to Tristan ... ask him when he is going to have another "Support Bush" rally. This time he could hold the rally in a corvette.

Nice thread hijack. Is Tristan an acquaintance of yours?

[rsf]

Oh ya, our system is no where near perfect.

My 90 year old grandmother broke her hip about 4 years ago, she had a hip replacement operation within 12 hours.

flipside

I have an American friend who paid 12 000 last year in co-payments, that on top of the massive premiums.

[rsf]

If you are talking to Tristan ... ask him when he is going to have another "Support Bush" rally. This time he could hold the rally in a corvette.

Nice thread hijack. Is Tristan an acquaintance of yours?

In a way.

[rsf]

I will stick to healthcare from here on.

You want people to click that link dont you? Lets disuss heathcare in our two countries.

[WestViking]

No one stops to consider that our doctor shortage is a deliberate plan to ration health care services. In Manitoba, operating room hours are restricted - specialists wait in line to perform needed surgeries, and I imagine the practice is repeated across the country.

If we put in place the necessary doctors and operating room staffs, our health care system would collapse for lack of funding. Our antiquated, inefficient delivery system would bankrupt us.

I have never seen an efficient and effective government-run program in my lifetime. Health care is no exception. The more government tries to control the delivery of health care, the more inefficient the system becomes. There is no alternative to measure government bureaucracies against, so we have no way of establishing just how bad the situation is.

We desperately need to have an alternate system of health care delivery to turn to. Our governments should set standards for health care facilities, approve drugs for use in Canada, set a scale for services provided, and ensure the safe operation of the system.

Delivery can be public and private; competition would bring some honesty to the delivery system.

Without doubt, those with the means to do so will pay a private clinic a premium for quick attention. When you have a family member diagnosed with a debilitating or potentially deadly disease or injury, suddenly getting a second mortgage, selling a car or boat or raising funds for early treatment becomes a viable option.

Others will complain long and loudly that they are 'left out' and that such a system is inherently unfair. So is the current system. Thousands of Canadians have supplemental health insurance to cover health care costs not supported by the public system, and use the 'extra coverage' every day. Everything from dental care to eyeglasses to private hospital rooms are covered under supplemental insurance.

People who have saved over years to supplement their retirement will cash in their savings to seek medical help if they are diagnose with a life-threatening disease no matter what bureaucrats decree.

One day soon, the family of someone who died awaiting heart by-pass surgery is going to take the life insurance payment and sue the socks of the province they live in for violating the deceased person's Charter right to security of the person. No government, no bureaucrat should have the power to tell you that they can not just ration lifesaving medical procedures, but that they can prevent you from seeking alternative health care. That is despicable.

There will always be a need for public health care facilities; - for teaching, for research and for specialized treatments such as radiation therapy and burn wards. Most health care services can be better provided by professionals working in private facilities.

[rsf]

Most health care services can be better provided by professionals working in private facilities.

They already are!

My doctor is in a private office. When I get an xray I go to a private clinic. When I get my blood tested I go to a private clinic. My Dentist is in a private office. I get my drugs from a public company.

This stuff about our system being only public is not true at all. I dont have a problem with a private company providing MRI's to tell you the truth.

I saw Michael Moore on Larry King several days ago. He said that the Canadian system is not perfect and all Canadians agree. He also said the problem with our system is that it is under-funded. He is correct in my opinion. Does anybody disagree with that statement?

[GratianGasparri]

My 90 year old grandmother broke her hip about 4 years ago, she had a hip replacement operation within 12 hours.

Wow! Took my father-in-law, age 50, eighteen months. As a tradesman he collected disability during this time while stuck on the waiting list, because OHIP was too cheap to send him across the river to the U.S. where their hospital could have taken care of it that week.

Of course, my father-in-law is not politically connected - the currency of Canada's healthcare system.

Our local hospital recently announced it may have to shut down the maternity ward because some of the nursing staff got sick.

[doggedlyright]

Our system is not under funded. In every province the largest budget line item is HEALTH CARE.

The fight is not between private vs public, the fight is between private union vs public sector union delivered services.

As an individual that has lived and worked in Europe, currently work in the USA and grew up Canadian I have been a user of all the countries' systems.

It is a terrible indictment on the Cdn system, when our elected politicians will opt for private clinics to jump ques and they also have access to the Military medical facilities in Ottawa.

In Canada, universal medicare gives a person only the basic services. If you wish to have a semi-private or private room you need supplemental coverage. If you wish to have dental and prescription coverage you better have an employer with a program or you buy coverage.

That is no different than the US. IN my office, every person has the option to join the health program. To this day, it still amazes me that the youth believe they are invincable and opt for no coverage. They are willing to take the risk and go to a public hospital where they get care.

Canada's health care system idoes not provide universal coverage of medically necessary services with only one exception .... abortion is covered in every province.

My pet peeve, is a man has to have prostrate cancer before a prostrate cancer screening test is covered by the Ontario government. The Ontario government delisted eye care under the concept that eyesight is not medically necessary.

Yet, if I wish to become a transgendered person, that is covered, the psych's are covered and all the drugs for the rest of their life is covered.

YES our system is broken. The Canada Health Act should be ripped up.

[rsf]

My 90 year old grandmother broke her hip about 4 years ago, she had a hip replacement operation within 12 hours.

Wow! Took my father-in-law, age 50, eighteen months. As a tradesman he collected disability during this time while stuck on the waiting list, because OHIP was too cheap to send him across the river to the U.S. where their hospital could have taken care of it that week.

Of course, my father-in-law is not politically connected - the currency of Canada's healthcare system.

Our local hospital recently announced it may have to shut down the maternity ward because some of the nursing staff got sick.

Did he just fall down and break his hip? Or was it something that developed over a long period of time?

Nobody in my family is politically connected, or even know anybody that works at that hospital. She would have died if they did nothing.

[rsf]

That is no different than the US. IN my office, every person has the option to join the health program. To this day, it still amazes me that the youth believe they are invincable and opt for no coverage. They are willing to take the risk and go to a public hospital where they get care.

That is wrong when young people dont opt in. It makes the coverage for the older workers more expensive.

My pet peeve, is a man has to have prostrate cancer before a prostrate cancer screening test is covered by the Ontario government. The Ontario government delisted eye care under the concept that eyesight is not medically necessary.

I agree with you. Its wrong.

It was both the Tories and the Liberals who did these things.

[justanothervoice]

And I have a friend who had a mammography done in mid October and had to wait until February for her lumpectomy.
Totally unacceptable and thats way too long a wait.
The health care system is broken and we must find a way to make it work.

As long as you have a health policy like blue cross and blue shield, you can have your mammography and lumpectomy all in one week.