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| Escape to Montana, Canadians seek a private option. |
| 2009-09-30 |
| When the pain in Christina Woodkey's legs became so severe that she could no longer hike or cross-country ski, she went to her local health clinic. The Calgary, Canada, resident was told she'd need to see a hip specialist. Because the problem was not life-threatening, however, she'd have to wait about a year. So wait she did. In January, the hip doctor told her that a narrowing of the spine was compressing her nerves and causing the pain. She needed a back specialist. The appointment was set for Sept. 30. 'When I was given that date, I asked when could I expect to have surgery,' said Woodkey, 72. 'They said it would be a year and a half after I had seen this doctor.' So this month, she drove across the border into Montana and got the $50,000 surgery done in two days. 'I don't have insurance. We're not allowed to have private health insurance in Canada,' Woodkey said. 'It's not going to be easy to come up with the money. But I'm happy to say the pain is almost all gone.' Whereas U.S. healthcare is predominantly a private system paid for by private insurers, things in Canada tend toward the other end of the spectrum: A universal, government-funded health system is only beginning to flirt with private-sector medicine. Hoping to capitalize on patients who might otherwise go to the U.S. for speedier care, a network of technically illegal private clinics and surgical centers has sprung up in British Columbia, echoing a trend in Quebec. In October, the courts will be asked to decide whether the budding system should be sanctioned. More than 70 private health providers in British Columbia now schedule simple surgeries and tests such as MRIs with waits as short as a week or two, compared with the months it takes for a public surgical suite to become available for nonessential operations. 'What we have in Canada is access to a government, state-mandated wait list,' said Brian Day, a former Canadian Medical Assn. director who runs a private surgical center in Vancouver. 'You cannot force a citizen in a free and democratic society to simply wait for healthcare, and outlaw their ability to extricate themselves from a wait list.'" In other words, while Congress debates whether to set U.S. medicine on the Canadian path, Canadians are desperately seeking their own private option. At least Ms. Woodkey had the safety valve of Montana and private American medicine. Once Congress passes a form of Medicare for all, with its inevitable government price controls and limits on care, Americans might not be so lucky. Let's hope that by then Canada has expanded its own private option, so Americans will one day be able to visit Alberta for faster, better care. Unless Congress bars that too. |
| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #15 I have private healthcare in Germany. Truly, European Conservative. I felt positively guilty when I compared the quality of care we received to that of our playgroup and Kindergarten friends. Because yes, timeliness is an important aspect of quality, as the Canadian Supreme Court pointed out. I'd no idea we were only 10% of the population, though. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-09-30 23:51 |
| #14 When I call a doctor he asks ME on what day I'd like to come and if I'm too busy Saturday would be just fine. One of our docs told us the same thing, adding that if that wasn't convenient, he'd be happy to stop by the house any time. He's our vet, though. |
| Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007 2009-09-30 23:26 |
| #13 While I suspect rare, one might come across a bad glass of German beer sometime as well. I doubt that would be a good reason to turn brewing over to the German government. |
| Posted by: Besoeker in Duitsland 2009-09-30 23:18 |
| #12 Well, from my side of the pond I'd say that losing your insurance because you lose your job doesn't sound too clever. And I don't like that US insurance companies often (?) try to refuse payment on some technical legal ground (preexisting conditions etc.) Some health reforms may not hurt. I haven't studied Obamacare to be able to tell you whether it's good or bad. You decide. But you pay more for your health system than we do and I'd say our's isn't worse. |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2009-09-30 22:36 |
| #11 (just like we acknowledge that we have problems with our system). I here people say that we have problems with our system, but I can never figure out what they actually are. In your opinion, what problems do we have? (that aren't caused by government) |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2009-09-30 22:24 |
| #10 I have private healthcare in Germany. Only 10% of Germans do. It's a different world. When I call a doctor he asks ME on what day I'd like to come and if I'm too busy Saturday would be just fine. |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2009-09-30 21:39 |
| #9 By then it'll be too late, of course, just as it's too late for them. Posted by: Steve White2009-09-30 19:13 Bahhh! What do you know? You're not a .... oh, wait, you are. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-09-30 19:48 |
| #8 Canadian docs aren't crazy about the system, either. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080109/doctor_survey_080109/20080109/ |
| Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007 2009-09-30 19:30 |
| #7 Ask most Canadians you encounter and they'll tell you that they are 'happy' with their health plan -- it's 'fair' and it covers their everyday needs. They'll acknowledge that it has problems (just like we acknowledge that we have problems with our system). But they're into the egalitarian aspects of it, so while they'll admit that it can take time to get specialty care, that's lower on their list of priorities. Until they need specialty care, that is. That's one of the problems with the current plan debated for our country: we all know that it will cut access, particularly to specialty care, so that it can pay for everyday care. Big deal you say, I need everyday care more. So you do. Until you need specialty care. And at some point, you'll need that. You'll need bypass surgery, or a hip replacement, or a new generation antibiotic, etc. When you're then told that you have to wait a year, or that your "quality-adjusted life year" score isn't high enough, or that you're too old, you're going to discover what the Canadians in this story already know. By then it'll be too late, of course, just as it's too late for them. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-09-30 19:13 |
| #6 canadian political movement to end single payer? I duuno, maybe it's in the form of illegal private healthcare facilities popping up like weeds? |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2009-09-30 18:56 |
| #5 where is the canadian political movement to end single payer? I imagine a lot of Canadians will say they like their system -- at least the ones that manage to live through it. The dead ones, not so much. Even their SC notes that dying while waiting for treatment is unconstitutional LOL. BP - Many choose to come here voluntarily rather than wait it out, but many are also sent here when the cases are acute. Preemies, as well. |
| Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007 2009-09-30 18:28 |
| #4 BINGO, JohnQC! |
| Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007 2009-09-30 18:23 |
| #3 The current attempts at railroading health care legislation through in the U.S. is not so about health care or providing services as it is about gaining control over one-sixth of the economy and all that comes with that. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2009-09-30 18:06 |
| #2 > where is the canadian political movement to end single payer? Everyone who votes with their feet and crosses the border to escape bureaucratic rationing. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2009-09-30 16:14 |
| #1 1. where is the canadian political movement to end single payer? 2. The baucus bill,even with a public option, wont be the Canadian system. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2009-09-30 14:55 |