Canadian Defends Anti-Medicare Ad

[benny]

they also have the freedom to take a lesser, move to find employment to afford a policy, or an employer who covers their employees with a group policy. The point is they have a freedom and an option always.

When you are in a recession, you don't have the freedom to be out of it. Freedom is not a magic trick!

[Smallc]

This sounds familiar.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Parents+tak...3463/story.html

Yes, it does....in your province. That would almost NEVER happen in Manitoba.

[Smallc]

And yet hybrid systems are consistently ranked higher then ours.

The 2003 WHO ranking didn't show that.

[Smallc]

Now you're being childish.....I will always have better options than you if you insist on waiting in the pain queue while singing "Oh Canada".

I'm not being childish. I simply threw your way of non arguing back at you.

[Molly]

Not true they still have some form of medical coverage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Med...ctive_Labor_Act

they also have the freedom to take a lesser, move to find employment to afford a policy, or an employer who covers their employees with a group policy. The point is they have a freedom and an option always.

You speak as though it is against the law for you to purchase supplementary health insurance.

You have all of the same freedoms here as you do there. The real deciding difference is that here you have an extremely high level of minimum coverage that cannot be denied, even if you are out of a job, or have a 'pre-existing condition'.

[Topaz]

It would be intersting to compare prices of health insurance that a Canadian could buy here vs the US health insurance and what they offer.

[punked]

You speak as though it is against the law for you to purchase supplementary health insurance.

You have all of the same freedoms here as you do there. The real deciding difference is that here you have an extremely high level of minimum coverage that cannot be denied, even if you are out of a job, or have a 'pre-existing condition'.

It is true they could not make insurance illegal because at the time Quebec and Ontario which had huge health insurance industries would have went bat shit crazy.

[Molly]

There's absolutely no reason to make it illegal. There are even good reasons to buy it, for some people.

(The insurance industry, at the time, did 'go batshit crazy', in more than just those two provinces. They weren't the only ones who got in a pretty tight twist. There was even a doctors strike.)

[M.Dancer]

The 2003 WHO ranking didn't show that.

It does if you consider Australia.

[punked]

There's absolutely no reason to make it illegal. There are even good reasons to buy it, for some people.

(The insurance industry, at the time, did 'go batshit crazy', in more than just those two provinces. They weren't the only ones who got in a pretty tight twist. There was even a doctors strike.)

Only in Sask, after single payer came in even the leader of the save our doctors movement found out it was good for everyone. He became a defender of our system in the 90 cut backs.

[M.Dancer]

It would be intersting to compare prices of health insurance that a Canadian could buy here vs the US health insurance and what they offer.

There would be large differences. Typically canadian health insurance would cover prescriptions and private or semi private rooms as well as rehabilitative therapy. Doesn't cover cosmetic surgery (that I know of). Might also include dental coverage.

[bush_cheney2004]

Only in Sask, after single payer came in even the leader of the save our doctors movement found out it was good for everyone. He became a defender of our system in the 90 cut backs.

Except for the ones who left the country?

[punked]

Except for the ones who left the country?

Or the ones who came back.

[benny]

Or the ones who came back.

Impartiality would dictate that we speak about Doctors Without Borders.

[jbg]

Yah the problem is medicine cost too much. If they lived in the US it would cost the same and guess what they would have to pay the same. I agree the government needs to put more money into health care, remember in 1998 when the conservatives cut health care in Alberta and started creating these problems? Remember Ralph Klein did it and I am sure you cheered him on. Way to prove the point. The government needs to invest in health care to cover all Canadians not 75% of them.

How does the "government" pay for anything? What and whose money does it use?

The problem of medicine costing too much is systemic. With computers, advances in technology lowers costs. In medicine, the effect is exactly the opposite; medical advances boosts costs.

Add to that the fact that people are living longer, healthier lives. The fact that people are now routinely living to 90+ rather than around 72 increases the amount of dementia, heart conditions and cancers. Further, the special nature of treating more fragile elderly people increases costs.

These combinations face society with a diabolical dilemna; do we let people die, or do we fund an essentially unlimited increased demand for health care? The money has to come from somewhere; government, private insurers, people's pockets or, in the case of people not having access to any resources, the hospital emergency room.

[benny]

How does the "government" pay for anything? What and whose money does it use?

The problem of medicine costing too much is systemic. With computers, advances in technology lowers costs. In medicine, the effect is exactly the opposite; medical advances boosts costs.

Add to that the fact that people are living longer, healthier lives. The fact that people are now routinely living to 90+ rather than around 72 increases the amount of dementia, heart conditions and cancers. Further, the special nature of treating more fragile elderly people increases costs.

These combinations face society with a diabolical dilemna; do we let people die, or do we fund an essentially unlimited increased demand for health care? The money has to come from somewhere; government, private insurers, people's pockets or, in the case of people not having access to any resources, the hospital emergency room.

The solution is desperately simple: abolishing patent laws until after the baby boom generation passing.

Edited August 6, 2009 by benny

[jbg]

And soon they will the option of buying insurance from the government and being covered like the elderly. Good for them. We have single payer and have fought hard to get it.

That law is highly unlikely to pass.

[punked]

That law is highly unlikely to pass.

How so?

[jbg]

How so?

Basically, the "blue dog" or conservative Democrats are likely to tie the bill up. "Comprehensive" health care is to some extent the "third rail" of American politics. Just ask Bill Clinton, who watched majorities in both houses ebb away to Republican majoritiesin the 1994 mid-term elections. The Democrats returned to legislative control only in 2006.

[punked]

Basically, the "blue dog" or conservative Democrats are likely to tie the bill up. "Comprehensive" health care is to some extent the "third rail" of American politics. Just ask Bill Clinton, who watched majorities in both houses ebb away to Republican majoritiesin the 1994 mid-term elections. The Democrats returned to legislative control only in 2006.

Don't worry the Blue dogs will come around, Obama is going to Nelsons home state in a week. They can't win with out the progressives, they might be able to win with out the conservatives. 4 Blue dogs have jumped the we hate health care ship already.

[jbg]

Don't worry the Blue dogs will come around, Obama is going to Nelsons home state in a week. They can't win with out the progressives, they might be able to win with out the conservatives. 4 Blue dogs have jumped the we hate health care ship already.

The problem is that since it didn't pass before the summer recess, Congressmen and to a lesser extent Senators will be barraged by constituents who don't like one or another detail, particularly the tax hikes needed to fund it.

Some of the comments will be downright racist and rather ugly, but many legislators will "get the message".

[punked]

The problem is that since it didn't pass before the summer recess, Congressmen and to a lesser extent Senators will be barraged by constituents who don't like one or another detail, particularly the tax hikes needed to fund it.

Some of the comments will be downright racist and rather ugly, but many legislators will "get the message".

Really people wont see their taxes go up are going to be mad about their taxes. Don't worry the legislators are getting the message the insurance industry are busing and flying in out of state "protesters" to threaten physical harm on those congressmen, the problem? Out of state protesters don't vote.

Don't worry this will get pushed through and just like Medicare once it is through their will be no back peddling.

[bush_cheney2004]

The problem is that since it didn't pass before the summer recess, Congressmen and to a lesser extent Senators will be barraged by constituents who don't like one or another detail, particularly the tax hikes needed to fund it.

Correct...this is how we end up with very poor sausage, or a horse designed by committe (a camel). The very nature of rushing this through is beginning to raise many questions, and the bills will bog down after recess is over. It will take more than Obama charm to get the job done.....Reagan got it done a lot faster.

Some of the comments will be downright racist and rather ugly, but many legislators will "get the message".

There will be a general voter backlash of disgust for the whole lot by the time it is through. I love this comment:

"President Obama took longer to choose a dog for his kids."

[Topaz]

There would be large differences. Typically canadian health insurance would cover prescriptions and private or semi private rooms as well as rehabilitative therapy. Doesn't cover cosmetic surgery (that I know of). Might also include dental coverage.

Because of laid offs, we are paying our own insurance and it only includes dental, vision, prescrition drugs, out-of-province, semi private, which is costing 267.77 plus life insurance so it end up around 302. per month. to get what the company was paying, it would be around 280.00 which included the above plus hearing,durable/prosthetics, private duty nurse, and nursing home. The insurance company is in Quebec, it was the cheapest. On the drugs, pay 5.00 per prescription, not guaranteed you'll get a semi-private room by the hospital and there are some expenses you pay at the dental office, or you pay the whole thing and get reimbursed later. It depends on the dental office.

[benny]

Because of laid offs, we are paying our own insurance

Employment insurance has to be linked to health insurance because illnesses can cause unemployment and vice versa.