The Health Care Debate: Another Country Heard From

It’s less expensive: It’s well known that Canada spends less of its budget on health care than the U. S. does, but anti single-payer propaganda says that Canadians pay more taxes. What they leave out is the chunk of money Americans pay to their insurance companies. If you add that amount to taxes you would find that, in sum, Canadians pay less.

No bureaucracy gets between you and your doctor: Despite propaganda from U.S. insurance companies, the Canadian system does not force patients to go through the government to get to their doctor. In fact, it’s pretty old-fashioned: you choose a doctor and make an appointment, show your health insurance card, and that’s it. If your doctor thinks you need to see a specialist or get further tests, he/she does not have to consult an insurance bureaucrat. If your specialist thinks you need an operation, you get it – without a stack of forms to fill out.

It’s user-friendly. Unlike the U.S. system, you don’t have to fear that an illness will strike you or a loved one and lead you into bankruptcy. You don’t have to master the minutiae of co-pays and all of the methods the insurance companies use to outsmart their clients. Just that lack of stress is a health benefit in itself.

Employers: The pro-insurance propaganda says that most people get health care through their employers. What about the people who lose their jobs, or are afraid to quit and try something else? They live in fear. Also, it is often said that small businesses provide the largest percentage of jobs in America. Many simply cannot afford health care for their employees.

Proof that the Canadian system works: Since l966, when national health care was voted in – strongly opposed by the Canadian Medical Association - it has been considered one of the most important benefits of living in Canada. “Don’t mess with health care” is a message that Canadian politicians have been getting for over 40 years. Any candidate for national office who wants a U.S.-style system would lose - no doubt about it. This is not to say that there’s no room for improvement – even in the best of systems, there’s room for refinement. And when a system is under-funded or mismanaged, it’s not going to work as well as it was meant to.

In the U.S., polls show that support for the public option is very high - and growing. When it comes to the most comprehensive and least expensive (for the national budget and the individual wallet) health care, you just can’t fool all of the people forever.

http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009073024/health-care-debate-another-country-heard