heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

[gh]

between periods, Canadians were chanting, "we've-got-health-care, we've-got-health-care..."

[mojo]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

between periods, Canadians were chanting, "we've-got-health-care, we've-got-health-care..."

I heard that was breaking out in a good natured way on the streets throught out the games whenever Americans and Canadians started their chants.

[guru]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

between periods, Canadians were chanting, "we've-got-health-care, we've-got-health-care..."

So do I, and I don't have to wait 14 years(give or take) to get an MRI.....

[mojo]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

between periods, Canadians were chanting, "we've-got-health-care, we've-got-health-care..."

So do I, and I don't have to wait 14 years(give or take) to get an MRI.....

Not to get a debate started but my DH needed an MRI and got it in two weeks...and his problem(well if there is one) is very minor. Just saying there are horrors stories everywhere and then there is the average story that never makes the paper.

[guru]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

Took me about 20 minutes to get in for a CT scan when I had a kidney stone. I wonder if a Canadian would have such speedy access.

[rasb]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

Took me about 20 minutes to get in for a CT scan when I had a kidney stone. I wonder if a Canadian would have such speedy access.

Hey guru,
I am a Canadian and my monthly bill is $ 54. for health care coverage...
A few weeks ago, I felt a pain in my lower back, not too bad, but I checked into what
might be involved, and of course that included kidney stones...
The next day, I sneezed, and everything seized up, very painfully.
I thought of calling an ambulance (which would have been free), but decided I could
drive into the hospital. So I did, and 30 minutes later, I was admitted to Emergency,
and had several professionals checking up on me, within another few minutes...
It turned out to be a muscle strain, but regardless, the care was immediate and almost
free. That's the Canadian way - the best health care system in the World, regardless of
your income level...

[gh]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

My mother spent I think the last 68 days of her life in a Canadian hospital last year. After the first month (3 broken ribs at age 91) she was well enough to leave the hospital, but there wasn't any room in the local extended-care facility. So she stayed in the hospital, paying something like 5 bucks a day total. Can you imagine what that would cost in a U.S. hospital?

[TrakFan]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

The big problem is that MANY employed USAins don't have health insurance due to affordability. And, for those that are unemployed...well, they're just SOL. As for COBRA when you're between jobs...sure, if you want to apply a significant portion of your unemployment benefits to pay for health insurance. Its very sad that a significant number of US bankruptcies are due to medical bills.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/05/ba ... cal.bills/

I thank my lucky stars everyday that I'm a military retiree and never have that health insurance worry.

[Daisy]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

I wonder if a Canadian would have such speedy access.

I wonder if every American would have such speedy access? :?

[guru]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

I wonder if a Canadian would have such speedy access.

I wonder if every American would have such speedy access? :?

I'm not saying there aren't problems with our system. But the fact is if you have the funds, either through insurnce or out of pocket, you will get most any medical service here in the US immediately. In Canada, no matter your income level, you're going to wait an average of 4+ weeks to see a specialist, or have a non-emergency medical procedure.

[TrakFan]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

I'm not saying there aren't problems with our system. But the fact is if you have the funds, either through insurnce or out of pocket, you will get most any medical service here in the US immediately.

And if you have insurance with Anthem (California), your rates will jump 39% on May 1st...crazy!!
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/24 ... -2010feb24

[polevaultpower]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

I used to work at a private radiology center in Seattle, and we were marketing our services to doctors up in Canada.

[gh]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

I wonder if a Canadian would have such speedy access.

I wonder if every American would have such speedy access? :?

I'm not saying there aren't problems with our system. But the fact is if you have the funds, ...

And there's the 500-pound gorilla in the room: IF you have the funds, and a scarily increasing portion of the population no longer has the wherewithal for what even elemental health care costs, let alone specialty medicine.

I guess it comes down to whether you believe everybody should have access to expensive specialist stuff or to basic coverage. If it paints me as a "socialist," fine, but I believe it's the government's responsibility to provide or the basic health care of its citizenry.

[Mighty Favog]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

There are trade-offs in each system. What it really boils down to is in Canada the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, and in the USA money trumps everything. This statement could be made for lots of other things besides health care, too.

[Pego]

Re: heard in the concourse at Olympic hockey final...

you're going to wait an average of 4+ weeks to see a specialist, or have a non-emergency medical procedure

If "non-emergency=chronic", what is a problem with waiting 4 weeks? Routine procedures require that amount of wait on the ongoing basis.

Let me add, even under the communist, quite ineffective system, when it came to acute medical problems, we had a so-called "2-hour" rule, have a diagnosis in 2 hours. Mind you, that was in the sixties with archaic diagnostic equipment.