Quote:
Originally Posted by Barefoot
BuffaloJim, no worries, I am not offended by your remarks, not at all. It's just without knowing the specifics of a situation, it can't really be explored. No-one I know has experienced the types of situations you described. As far as being denied life-saving cancer treatment, sorry, but I don't believe that. Of course the Canadian Health Care System isn't perfect, but it's free. I've been reading about the angst caused by the recent VHS announcement. It sounds as if choosing a health care plan in the US is enormously complicated!
I've experienced two critical situations in my life. I've been put at the head of the line in Emerg by Triage, and received immediate and awesome treatment. I know a bit about our health-care system first-hand - one situation in 2005 required four months in hospital, where I received the best of care, completely free! But then I've heard people complain bitterly about wait time in Emerg when they've gone there with a cold! Two completely different senarios.
Elective surgeries have longer wait times. You mentioned a friend who took his daughter to the US for eye surgery. It's true that LASIK surgery isn't covered in Canada. But Cataract surgery certainly is!
Here is a situation I personally encountered recently. I returned to Canada from The Villages in May, in need of a knee replacement. I was told by an Orthopedic Surgeon at a small hospital close to my home that he has a Walt list of two years. So I drove for two hours to a Knee/Hip Clinic affiliated with a large Toronto Hospital which is known to have excellent wait times. I was approved for surgery in June and had a knee replacement July 6.
I think with flexibility and persistence, Canada offers excellent free healthcare.
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It wasn`t Lasik [ cosmetic ' eye surgery . This young woman was age 16 at the time and a Nationally ranked doubles figure skater in Canada .
She developed a rare eye disorder which limited her vision and gave her constant blinding headaches so much so that she had to leave school and could only exist in a very dark room lying down .
Her parents were both corporate execs and they had many many connections in greater Toronto . Yet they were told that they had to wait for a very long time in order to see the type of specialist they needed .
So the parents brought her into the uS and found the treatment the girl needed . All in she lost nearly a full year of her life and suffered a great deal .
I am not trying to say that the Canadian system is bad . I am simply retelling the experiences I saw several f friends and acquaintances go thru .
Also I knew several Drs. who cam across the Border to practice in the US because they were not happy with the prospects for career satisfaction in the Canadian system .
Now having said all of the above I do sincerely believe that the Canadian System is going to eventually prove to be much superior to what we are headed for in the US under the new system .
So called " Obama Care " is still rolling out . Regulations will be changing annually for several more years and I much doubt that Americans will be pleased with what it will eventually turn out to be .
In fact I predict that our voters will demand many changes and the roll-back of numerous regulations created by this still new legislation .