A True Tale of Canadian Health Care: Why some patients need to go to the U.S. for surgery
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Video Description:
Many advocates of health-care reform are admirers of Canada's state-run, no-opt-out, single-payer system. Indeed, in 2003, President Barack Obama voiced enthusiasm for such a health-care program.
Proponents of Canadian-style health care should meet Cheryl Baxter, a Canadian citizen who waited years for hip-replacement surgery, only to be told that her operation would not happen any time soon. Instead of waiting, Baxter did what an increasing number of Canadians are doing: She flew to a clinic in the United States, paid out of pocket, and had a life-altering surgery in a matter of weeks rather than years.
Baxter's experience doesn't just throw damning light on Canadian health care. The sort of clinic she went to in Oklahoma suggests a different way of delivering health care in the United States, too: A simple fee-for-service model in which providers openly advertise their prices, service, and reputation. Rather than a frustrating, complicated mess of intermediaries such as employers and insurance companies, U.S. health-care reformers should think about bringing medicine into line with the same dynamics that help deliver great service at great prices throughout most other parts of the economy.
While Canadian health care is certainly cheaper than its U.S. counterpart (health care spending in Canada is about 10 percent of GDP versus 16 percent in the United States), it is not necessarily better or more equitable. As a recent National Bureau of Economic Research comparison concluded, "Americans are more likely to report that they are fully satisfied with the health services they have received and to rank the quality of care as excellent." Not only do Americans have far greater access to basic diagnostic tools ranging from mammograms to CT scans, the researchers found "the health-income gradient is actually more prominent in Canada than in the U.S." That is, wealthy Canadians receive far better care compared to low-income Canadians than rich Americans versus poor Americans.
"A True Tale of Canadian Health Care" was produced by Dan Hayes and Peter Suderman. Interviews were filmed by Alex Manning and the segment is hosted and scripted by Nick Gillespie. Approximately 5.11 minutes.
Reason.tv would like to thank the Independence Institute for arranging and underwriting travel to Canada for Suderman and Manning.
For downloadable versions of this video, go to http://reason.tv/video/show/a-true-tale-of-canadian-health.
For other Reason.tv videos on health care, go to http://reason.tv
Tags for this video: health care health care reform medicine canada canadian health care sicko single-payer system reason reason magazine reason foundation reason.tv dan hayes peter suderman alex manning nick gillespie fraser institute independence institute
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Canadian care may or may not be as good, I don't know. The truth is there is a waiting list for some treatments and surgeries in Canada. If not the Canadians would not be coming here to America to be taken care of, unless you want to tell me the care is better. Just admit the truth.
To scream that the government intereferes with everything in a negative light is retarded. How about an example? Big Oil. The governemnt does not interfere with the oil companies because they are ALL paid off by them so you get NO regulation. Remember you dont like regulation. But them BP drills in the gulf and does not drill a relief well. My government regulates that you must to that to be safe. Now my question is: How is that preventable oil spill going?
You completely miss the point dipshit. The penalty cap set at $75 million should have already indead been set higher. The point is due to regulation in Canada you cannot drill an oil well unless you have a relief well already in place. This regulation is not in place in the US. Why is that?? You should re-examine how this came about....I bet while people bitch about Obama you might just learn all of this was put in place by the jack ass oil lord with the two previous terms.
PS - Don't even bother refering to the $75 million dollar cap as a regulation. These oil companies make BILLIONS.
In the first Q alone BP made 5.6B. Which is then 22.4B/year. Do you honestly think they gave a shit about a measly $75M? Fuck, they make that in less than two days. Regulations are meant to keep companies respecting the law and what society will not tolerate (ie pollution) by serious economic penalties. Your govt is owned by big oil so no serious penalty is paid.
Canadians live much longer than americans.
Canadians pay less for healthcare than americans(that would also include extra taxes).