February 23, 200818 yr The Canadian model of socialized medicine is the primary reason I feel that America should adopt a modified version, and not the exact version. Frankly, for many countries, the socialized healthcare model is flawed. The wait for services is long, even for life-saving services. Those that are skeptical based on those models are correct. What type of model do you think would work?
February 23, 200818 yr We could improve it. In Canada you simply go to the doctor, show them your medical ID, fill out a couple forms (like you would here), and wait to be seen. Contrary to popular belief the waiting times aren't worse than in the USA, other than in the extremely rural parts of Canada that only gets a doctor in town once a month. We need a national computerized health database that all doctors can see which will lower cost and streamline things. That's something us "liberals" are trying to get done. A universal healthcare system like Canada's would mean that the physicians bill the government and no you or the health insurer. The paper work on your part is minimal and on the side of the physicians, it's reduced by doing everything online in the national database. What makes you think that our government is capable or even willing to do that? Right now when the provider I work for bills Medicare they get reimbursed less then 50 cents on the dollar. There is also a mountain of paperwork that has to be filed as well as very strict limits on how many Medicare patients you can see in a given period of time. If you exceed that number you get reduced reimbursment. The bottom line for our practice is that if we had all Medicare patients we could not stay in business. Now it sounds very good to say that it can be improved but so far the government has shown no inclination to do so. In fact as far as I'm concerned the government has shown itself to be fairly inept at administrating a health care plan. I'm sorry if I have little or no faith that they could do better in an even larger undertaking. Is our healthcare system perfect, not even close BUT I have yet to see any solid evidence that turning it over to government control would do anything but make it even worse.
February 23, 200818 yr What type of model do you think would work? I'm not sure. There are many ideas. But, I don't think affordable for all equates to free for all.
February 23, 200818 yr We could improve it. In Canada you simply go to the doctor, show them your medical ID, fill out a couple forms (like you would here), and wait to be seen. Contrary to popular belief the waiting times aren't worse than in the USA, other than in the extremely rural parts of Canada that only gets a doctor in town once a month. Any sources on the above? I'm looking to do some reading on it.
February 23, 200818 yr Oh the good old never think something can be improved about America otherwise you're not patriotic bit. There are some things that the rest of the industrialized world does better than us IMO. I love America but I think we need to see healthcare as a right and not an industry. I just saw on CNN recently where a woman had health insurance, paid her premiums, got cancer, and got dropped from her insurance. We can pay to build bridges to nowhere and attack countries that have not hurt us, but we can't as citizens have a universal healthcare system? Something is extremely wrong with that IMO. I don't think I accused you of being unpatriotic . . . and, BTW, I think America could improve on a lot of things. I just don't think socialism in any shape, form or fashion is the way to go and that is exactly what government run health care would be----- a very slippery slope towards socialism. We don't need to go there.
February 23, 200818 yr We could improve it. In Canada you simply go to the doctor, show them your medical ID, fill out a couple forms (like you would here), and wait to be seen. Contrary to popular belief the waiting times aren't worse than in the USA, other than in the extremely rural parts of Canada that only gets a doctor in town once a month. We need a national computerized health database that all doctors can see which will lower cost and streamline things. That's something us "liberals" are trying to get done. A universal healthcare system like Canada's would mean that the physicians bill the government and no you or the health insurer. The paper work on your part is minimal and on the side of the physicians, it's reduced by doing everything online in the national database. 22 Months for a Diagnostic MRI ""This is a country in which dogs can get a hip replacement in under a week and in which humans can wait two to three years."" Critically ill patients rushed to the US "There was no room at any other Canadian neonatal intensive care unit, forcing CHR officials to look south of the border." US people go to Canada for prescriptions and medical marijauna, sometimes. But I believe they also go to Mexico for that.
February 23, 200818 yr The Canadian model of socialized medicine is the primary reason I feel that America should adopt a modified version, and not the exact version. Frankly, for many countries, the socialized healthcare model is flawed. The wait for services is long, even for life-saving services. Those that are skeptical based on those models are correct. And the main reason for the wait is that there is no money in medicine in those countries. Profit motive has a lot to do with why are healthcare system advances faster and has more availability than socialized medicine nations. (Availability = services available, not necessarily affordable.)
February 23, 200818 yr And the main reason for the wait is that there is no money in medicine in those countries. Profit motive has a lot to do with why are healthcare system advances faster and has more availability than socialized medicine nations. (Availability = services available, not necessarily affordable.) For the record, I'm for affordable health care coverage, limits on award settlements, and reasonable malpractice coverage rates for physicians.
February 23, 200818 yr For the record, I'm for affordable health care coverage, limits on award settlements, and reasonable malpractice coverage rates for physicians.Limits on award settlements would go a long way toward solving the healthcare issue.
February 23, 200818 yr Limits on award settlements would go a long way toward solving the healthcare issue. I agree. It would decrease both malpractice costs and unneccessary medical tests.
February 23, 200818 yr Limits on award settlements would go a long way toward solving the healthcare issue. Without question. I have spoken to physicians who know that their charges are high but they have to be in order to cover overhead, including skyrocketing malpractice insurance costs.
February 23, 200818 yr Bill Maher, Alan Colmes, Jon Stewart, most of the news anchors....Maher, perhaps, but he also gets on Democrats as well. Colmes and "most of the news anchors" aren't even close.
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