re: Canada’s ‘Free’ Healthcare

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Did not know this. fricking Syrupeans...

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Canadians with any means come to the US for medical care. That should tell you everything.

Honestly we pay out the arse here and while it's not that bad, it's not a whole lot better. I've been waiting 4 months for a consultation with an ENT about a complete blockage of my upper sinus pathways that's left me with migraines every day since March.

I'm sure I'll meet with him (tomorrow, actually) and they'll schedule me for a procedure somwtime after the new year.

Probably can get in right away for a euthanasia appointment.

Sorry man. Hopefully you can get in quick because breathing issues are no fun.

I'm surprised they didn't tell him to just kill himself...

According to the Associated Press, hospitals are raising the possibility of assisted suicide with patients who hadn't asked about it. These conversations are not motivated by quality of life but health care costs.


The A.P. notes that Belgium and the Australian state of Victoria, which allow physician-assisted suicide, tell medical professionals not to bring up euthanasia so that it's not seen as medical advice. In other words, make sure it's the patient's idea.

This is not the case in Canada, where health care workers are trained to inform patients that they can choose euthanasia if they have a qualifying condition. This has led to some patients, particularly those with disabilities but not necessarily fatal illnesses, having some unpleasant conversations. One provided a recording to the Associated Press:

Roger Foley, who has a degenerative brain disorder and is hospitalized in London, Ontario, was so alarmed by staffers mentioning euthanasia that he began secretly recording some of their conversations.

In one recording obtained by the AP, the hospital's director of ethics told Foley that for him to remain in the hospital, it would cost "north of $1,500 a day." Foley replied that mentioning fees felt like coercion and asked what plan there was for his long-term care.

"Roger, this is not my show," the ethicist responded. "My piece of this was to talk to you, (to see) if you had an interest in assisted dying."

Foley said he had never previously mentioned euthanasia. The hospital says there is no prohibition on staff raising the issue.

That Canada's health care system is primarily publicly funded and also has very long wait times for certain types of medical care has naturally raised questions about whether health officials are looking out for patients or what's best for the service providers and government.


LINK

"If you had an emergency you would get the same treatment you would there that you get in the US. He is talking about an elective procedure."

A test to determine severity of an injury and access the need for surgical intervention is NOT considered an elective procedure....haha

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It's not just a lack of equipment either; it is a lack of doctors and nurses. I can remember many doctors retiring early and not enough new doctors were coming out of school because it wasn't worth the effort of having to deal with the government to get paid. Endless paperwork. Much more lucrative to become a lawyer.

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My first GF in NYC was Canadian. She had the Canadian health card and at that time when the system was new and fully staffed and equipped, it was great. Of course, it deteriorated from there.

MRI's as an example. The US has 37.98 MRI's per million people. Canada has 10.35 per million. They make up for the difference with rationing and long waiting periods.