I am listening to CNN on the computer and a Republican congresswoman said European health insurance has failed miserably and the people are suffereing horribly because of this. She also said that the citizens of Canada, Europe, etc.. oppose their government healthcare because it has failed them.

Obviously I know this is absolute bulls**t. But I would really like to know what you ; Canadians, British, German, French, Swedish, Australian, Italian, Norwegian, Finnish, etc.... think about your health care. Do you like it or dislike it?

If you dislike it, how do you think your health care should be run?

If you like it, what if anything would you do to change it?

Ask the people that live in Hawaii.

They love their universal healthcare and the Republicans that went there to talk about how bad it is did not even know Hawaii had universal healthcare.

It was pretty entertaining to watch politicians tell people how bad their healthcare system is when they just found out about it compared to the people who have been enjoying it for 40 years.

A few people in Canada oppose universal healthcare - most don't.

The consensus is that it's not perfect but better than the alternatives.

Since NAFTA, Canadian healthcare coverage has become much like basic commercial insurance. Sucks. But again, better than the alternative.

Truth is, Canadians are fighting a losing battle - NAFTA mandates harmonization, and Canada has been forced to let other health insurance carriers into the market. The basic coverage has been cut; it isn't enough; people need to add more (private) coverage; most can't afford it.



...Oh yeah - that Republican congresswoman is cherry-picking her quotes. PM Harper was and still is Bush's beeotch - if he could have dismantled Canadian healthcare without a revolution, believe me he would have.



[edit on 21-3-2010 by soficrow]

A question from a Canadian.

Let's say someone from California go to Hawaii for healthcare.
Does he have to pay or the state will pay for him?

[edit on 21-3-2010 by St-Patrick]

Peace of mind.

That's what universal healthcare provides. It's the sure knowledge that if I'm ill I can see a doctor, free of charge at the point of use. If I need an ambulance, it's there, same with a helicopter if (God forbid) I'm seriously injured. The hospital is free too, all I have to worry about is getting myself better.

As to my finances, my employer will pay my wages in full for a year. They'll keep my job open. If I'm still unwell after that, the state system will kick in and pay a large % of my wages (I might actually be better off on social security ... but that's a whole other argument !)

There are problems, like any complex system. Minor injuries aren't the greatest priority, even though they might be painful or uncomfortable. So you might have to dose up on painkillers and wait a few weeks to be seen. Or you can opt out of the state system and get treated privately instead (my union provides that benefit ... same day treatment, guaranteed). Private treatment is a benefit many employers offer too.

So the state system should be more responsive to minor conditions. And they could reduce the number of managerial paper shufflers and get them treating people instead.

And I'm a great believer that end of life provision should be as comprehensive, responsive as maternity services are. I think it a great sin that so many people want to die at home, in the comfort of their own familiar surroundings yet end up dying in a state hospital (not that they aren't being loved & cared for ... but it's invariably not what the patient would have wished). That's a bugbear of mine, hospice services and how they're funded. More needs to be done for older people, we need to listen to their wishes more and act on them, even if it costs money.

I don't mind either that my wages are short because I'm paying for other people to be treated. Because they'll be paying for me when my time comes. Isn't that the mark of a civilised nation ?

But universal healthcare, as practised here, is so successful a system that many of us don't even think about it, or fret about it, to the same extent as our friends in the United States.

I wouldn't be here without the NHS in the UK, so maybe my opinion my be slightly biased, but I would have thought the majority in the Uk are happy with the NHS, it's not perfect, but what system is. I'll be interested to see what UK posters think

OK, one last comment if that's ok, I would prefer the HC plans of other countries then what we are getting.

Peace out.

I think I would distinguish between two things.

In Britain, the FACT that healthcare exists is very, very, popular. The worst accusation that one political party can level against another is that the other party might introduce "cuts" in the NHS (National Health Service). Any government which tried to abolish it would provoke exactly the same level of anger that Obama is introducing by trying to introduce it. On this side of the Atlantic, the American reaction is very puzzling; "so why, exactly, don't they want to be looked after?".

On the other hand, it is very easy to find people complaining about flaws in the day-to-day operation of the service. In a sense, the popularity of the institution, as such, is part of the problem. The population is very demanding. This makes the service very expensive, from the government's point of view. There is an obvious temptation to cut corners somewhere, which might reduce efficiency.
Questions arise; one frequent question is whether too much of the budget is being "wasted" on non-medical staff. Should the NHS be helping people with fertility problems? Should it pay for Viagra? Is it right that certain, more expensive, drugs are left off the recommended list for use in cancer healthcare?

To sum up; the electorate in this country would not want to be without the NHS, but they would certainly want to see improvements in the way it works.



[edit on 21-3-2010 by DISRAELI]

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
OK, one last comment if that's ok, I would prefer the HC plans of other countries then what we are getting.

Peace out.

I 100% agree. We need a system like the UK, Canada or a Nordic system.

I am a American citizen and British Resident. When living in England, I had to see a Doc a few times, and frankly, I thought it was perfectly fine.

I had to make an appointment which was about a week out, got my treatment without any issue, and that was that.

I am not sure what they are comparing it to...Some say the waiting list is long, but my mother is having issues here in the States and she is getting appointments a month out and more from her doctors.

I am Canadian and I love our healthcare. I have a good doctor though, that might be why. But wherever I have gone in the country. West coast to central to east coast back to west coast. I have gotten doctors no problem. That being said, I have never been in any situation when I needed a major surgery, so I can’t say. Besides that, the only thing keeping me not moving to the states and becoming a citizen is the healthcare situation. I would love to live in the states for awhile in my life, but just knowing if you get a heart attack or some major disease, if you come out of it, you’ll be broke.

Originally posted by St-Patrick
A question from a Canadian.

Let's say someone from California go to Hawaii for healthcare.
Does he have to pay or the state will pay for him?

[edit on 21-3-2010 by St-Patrick]

According to the show I was watching their healthcare is extended to visitors as well as residents. I believe Dog the bounty hunter was one of the people saying how nice it was to get injured in Hawaii instead of California.

If UHC is so great then why are the cancer survival rates in the US leaps and bounds ahead of Europe? IIRC the overall survival rate for breast cancer is like 75% in the US but only around 50% in the UK. Same for colon cancer.

Originally posted by ChrisF231
If UHC is so great then why are the cancer survival rates in the US leaps and bounds ahead of Europe? IIRC the overall survival rate for breast cancer is like 75% in the US but only around 50% in the UK. Same for colon cancer.

Thank goodness that those two cancers are the only things killing people. Interesting logic at work here.

One of the good things about being an EU citizen, is that you can have health care in any European country. If I get ill in Spain for example, I will recieve the same free health as a spaniard would here in the UK.

Originally posted by Zosynspiracy


Obama and the US needs to focus on bringing jobs back to this country. screw healthcare.....now is not the time.

I think there are quite a few uninsured sick people who might disagree with you.

It must be easy to condemn the weak and the poor when you yourself are fit and healthy.