US dead last in health care

[bush_cheney2004]

Canadian women flock to the "dead last" USA for breast cancer treatment, just like Belinda Stronach...here's why:

From Canada, Laurie Kelly of Victoria travelled to the centre and paid more than $50,000 to have breast reconstruction in late 2010.

Kelly sought to have autologous breast reconstruction using skin and fat from her buttock to rebuild her breast.

In Canada, she said, she could only find one surgeon who could perform that type of surgery. She also faced a two- to three-year wait just for a consultation.

Still, the cost of her surgery abroad was not reimbursed by the Medical Services Plan in British Columbia, she said.

As her surgery could have been performed in Canada, albeit with a significant wait time, Stephen May, a spokesman for the B.C. Ministry of Health, said breast reconstruction in the U.S. would not be covered.

[WestCoastRunner]

Canadian women flock to the "dead last" USA for breast cancer treatment, just like Belinda Stronach...here's why:

From Canada, Laurie Kelly of Victoria travelled to the centre and paid more than $50,000 to have breast reconstruction in late 2010.

Kelly sought to have autologous breast reconstruction using skin and fat from her buttock to rebuild her breast.

In Canada, she said, she could only find one surgeon who could perform that type of surgery. She also faced a two- to three-year wait just for a consultation.

Canadian women are not 'flocking' to the u.s. for this type of specialized surgery. There are perhaps a few each year. Since it is a specialized type of surgery for breast reconstruction (and there are many reasons why doctor's don't pursue this specialization), it only leaves Canada with 1 or 2 doctors in this field of work (hence the long wait times). Even in the states, there are not that many who practice this type of surgery.

[bush_cheney2004]

Flocking...as in Belinda Stronach:

OTTAWA–Belinda Stronach, the MP for Newmarket-Aurora and former cabinet minister, travelled outside Canada's health-care system to California for some of her breast cancer treatment earlier this year.

Stronach, diagnosed in the spring with a type of breast cancer that required a mastectomy and breast reconstruction, went to California in June at her Toronto doctor's suggestion, a spokesperson confirmed.

[WestCoastRunner]

Flocking...as in Belinda Stronach:

OTTAWA–Belinda Stronach, the MP for Newmarket-Aurora and former cabinet minister, travelled outside Canada's health-care system to California for some of her breast cancer treatment earlier this year.

Stronach, diagnosed in the spring with a type of breast cancer that required a mastectomy and breast reconstruction, went to California in June at her Toronto doctor's suggestion, a spokesperson confirmed.

And your point is?

[waldo]

And your point is?

just how big is the guy's flock?

[WestCoastRunner]

Again, as i mentioned above. Canada does not have the number of surgeons with these skills to meet the demand, hence the waiting list.

[WestCoastRunner]

just how big is the guy's flock?

BC, how big is your flock?

[bush_cheney2004]

Canadians are now buying health care insurance products for the Mayo Clinic...bypassing the CHA collectivist limitations in favour of the "dead last" USA:

...According to the Mayo Clinic, 25% of the international patients they serve every year are from Canada. And why is an American hospital/clinic serving so many Canadians?

According to this news report about Mayo's insurance programs for Canadians, "the publicly funded health system in Canada decreases the choices available to patients, and can also result in delayed diagnosis and treatment. That's why, within the national system, it's good to offer choices for those who need diagnosis confirmation or even treatment for serious illness."

Edited June 14, 2014 by bush_cheney2004

[bush_cheney2004]

Again, as i mentioned above. Canada does not have the number of surgeons with these skills to meet the demand, hence the waiting list.

Why not ? What is the problem ? "Dead last" USA has plenty of 'em.

[WestCoastRunner]

What is your point in all this info BC? Everything you are posting, we already know. Tell us something we don't know.

[WestCoastRunner]

Why not ? What is the problem ? "Dead last" USA has plenty of 'em.

The U.S. does not have a lot of surgeons specializing in the surgery Laurie wanted.

[bush_cheney2004]

The U.S. does not have a lot of surgeons specializing in the surgery Laurie wanted.

????? This makes no sense. More surgeons than in Canada ! Not too bad for "dead last".

Edited June 14, 2014 by bush_cheney2004

[bush_cheney2004]

Manitoba woman is happy she found health care in the "dead last" USA:

Manitoban Janis Ollson and family are in magazine ads for the esteemed Mayo Clinic for a very good reason: she's the first person surgeons cut in half, removed much of a cancerous midsection, then put back together with a happy ending.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/emmiracle-emmom-103194769.html

[waldo]

The U.S. does not have a lot of surgeons specializing in the surgery Laurie wanted.

as you're probably aware, most women... the significant majority of women, do not seek this type of breast reconstruction that involves using a woman's own tissue to reconstruct a breast. As I read, most women opt for implants in this regard. The guy picks a rather obscure type of surgery and then states a most revealing point... that a country 10 times the population of Canada might have more surgeons specializing in this type of surgery. Imagine!

of course, the guy played the same card several times earlier in this thread simply to avoid acknowledging and discussing the content/merit of the several American studies referenced.. the American studies bringing forward last/near the bottom comparative rankings for the U.S. in health care and health outcomes as compared to other representative countries. And yes, these same studies also highlight areas in health care/outcomes where the U.S. performs well, performs the best.

a point of the studies, from a/my Canadian perspective, as stated several times within this thread, is to apply introspection to those areas where Canada can... and needs to improve, particularly as compared to more representative single-payer systems... and the thread has had some of that type of inward looking introspection. Some, but limited, principally because a deflector/derailer comes along and steers it away from any meaningful discussion. And, of course, another point of the studies is to direct the studies findings toward the deflector, particularly when he decides to play with wait times... as was done recently in another thread, completely unrelated and totally "out of the blue". The deflector will have nothing to do with self-introspection... refuses to acknowledge the American studies... refuses to accept that the U.S. has any degree of failure or need for improvement... for the country that spends far more on its health care system than any other industrialized country, and realizes the worst comparative returns... dead last/near the bottom returns.

[bush_cheney2004]

USA health care..."dead last".....but far more choices than in Canada:

...I believe here I hit upon a basic philosophical difference between Canadian and American healthcare systems: Canada's unified public plan restricts patient autonomy, whereas the US gives much more freedom in treatment decisions to patients and their doctors.

...There are many things that I admire about the Canadian healthcare system. Inflexibility is not one of them.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/elie-dolgin/canada-healthcare-cancer_b_3897522.html

[waldo]

"the comparative American health disadvantage continues to grow over a now 3 decades+ period of time... it is pervasive affecting all American age groups regardless of income, as observed for multiple diseases, biological and behavioural risk factors, and injuries"

[cybercoma]

Flocking...as in Belinda Stronach:

OTTAWA–Belinda Stronach, the MP for Newmarket-Aurora and former cabinet minister, travelled outside Canada's health-care system to California for some of her breast cancer treatment earlier this year.

Stronach, diagnosed in the spring with a type of breast cancer that required a mastectomy and breast reconstruction, went to California in June at her Toronto doctor's suggestion, a spokesperson confirmed.

Canadian women flock to the "dead last" USA for breast cancer treatment, just like Belinda Stronach...here's why:

From Canada, Laurie Kelly of Victoria travelled to the centre and paid more than $50,000 to have breast reconstruction in late 2010.

Kelly sought to have autologous breast reconstruction using skin and fat from her buttock to rebuild her breast.

In Canada, she said, she could only find one surgeon who could perform that type of surgery. She also faced a two- to three-year wait just for a consultation.

Still, the cost of her surgery abroad was not reimbursed by the Medical Services Plan in British Columbia, she said.

As her surgery could have been performed in Canada, albeit with a significant wait time, Stephen May, a spokesman for the B.C. Ministry of Health, said breast reconstruction in the U.S. would not be covered.

Got cancer...get thee to the "last" place USA like many Canadians choose to do...here's why:

Compared with 10 European countries, the U.S. spends more to treat cancer patients, but the U.S. has seen greater gains in survival for 11 of 13 cancers during a 16-year period, a new study shows.

The research, published in the journal Health Affairs, estimated the value of the U.S. survival gains totaled $598 billion, or $43 billion annually. That is after subtracting higher U.S. spending, the authors said. The study compared U.S. healthcare spending and cancer survival rates between 1983 and 1999 with those of Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Wales.

Canadians are now buying health care insurance products for the Mayo Clinic...bypassing the CHA collectivist limitations in favour of the "dead last" USA:

...According to the Mayo Clinic, 25% of the international patients they serve every year are from Canada. And why is an American hospital/clinic serving so many Canadians?

According to this news report about Mayo's insurance programs for Canadians, "the publicly funded health system in Canada decreases the choices available to patients, and can also result in delayed diagnosis and treatment. That's why, within the national system, it's good to offer choices for those who need diagnosis confirmation or even treatment for serious illness."

What are the forum rules around cutting and pasting your posts with little discussion?

[cybercoma]

Why not ? What is the problem ? "Dead last" USA has plenty of 'em.

This doesn't help your argument at all. You have plenty of 'em, but are still dead last. Think about that. Edited June 14, 2014 by cybercoma

[monty16]

Stop hurting his feelings. If he wants to pretend then we should be able to pretend with him.

And so, there's no problem with the US health care system and it's not bandrupting their country as well as it's not bankrupting hundreds of thousands of it's citizens. The Republicans and the Democrats don't really both agree that the system needs to be fixed. That's just a big commie lie. God has it under control and will fix it in his own time. God decides everything in the US and if the heatlh care system is failing in any way, which it obviously isn't, it is god's will. God kills little children and poor people by withholding health care from them for his own reasons. But he doesn't really because he loves you, yes I know, for the bible tells them so, etc.

[On Guard for Thee]

This doesn't help your argument at all. You have plenty of 'em, but are still dead last. Think about that.

And I don't think he has an argument, do you? But here's a bit of a personal reflection/comparison if I may. I was in Houston a while back and came down with an eye infection. Iritus if you've ever heard of it. I had had it once before and knew exactly what I needed. Maxitrol drops. But of course I had to go to a doctor first, and of course i didn't get past the front door without slapping my credit card down. Same thing of course next door at a Walgreens to get the drops. Fast forward a couple months I get a phone call at home saying I hadn't paid my bill at the doctor's office. Of course by that time I had my Visa bill and there it was, which I explained. I think I must have had close to a dozen calls over this issue before they finally got it straight. Then a bit later, back in Canada, I did my knee in (bucket handle tear of the medial miniscus) on a camping trip. As soon as I got out of the bush I went straight to a walk in (or in my case limp in) clinic, had an Xray to confirm, two days later athroscopic surgery, good as new. My cost: I think I paid about 30 bucks for rental of crutches. And certainly my injury was not in any way life threatening.

[WestCoastRunner]

as you're probably aware, most women... the significant majority of women, do not seek this type of breast reconstruction that involves using a woman's own tissue to reconstruct a breast. As I read, most women opt for implants in this regard. The guy picks a rather obscure type of surgery and then states a most revealing point... that a country 10 times the population of Canada might have more surgeons specializing in this type of surgery. Imagine!

of course, the guy played the same card several times earlier in this thread simply to avoid acknowledging and discussing the content/merit of the several American studies referenced.. the American studies bringing forward last/near the bottom comparative rankings for the U.S. in health care and health outcomes as compared to other representative countries. And yes, these same studies also highlight areas in health care/outcomes where the U.S. performs well, performs the best.

a point of the studies, from a/my Canadian perspective, as stated several times within this thread, is to apply introspection to those areas where Canada can... and needs to improve, particularly as compared to more representative single-payer systems... and the thread has had some of that type of inward looking introspection. Some, but limited, principally because a deflector/derailer comes along and steers it away from any meaningful discussion. And, of course, another point of the studies is to direct the studies findings toward the deflector, particularly when he decides to play with wait times... as was done recently in another thread, completely unrelated and totally "out of the blue". The deflector will have nothing to do with self-introspection... refuses to acknowledge the American studies... refuses to accept that the U.S. has any degree of failure or need for improvement... for the country that spends far more on its health care system than any other industrialized country, and realizes the worst comparative returns... dead last/near the bottom returns.

What really bothers me is that when I reposted this post, I was given a warning. I suppose it was because someone chose to ignore Waldo and I chose to respost Waldo's valuable information in this thread. I am puzzled as to why I was given a warning and why my repost was deleted. If anyone wants to weigh in on this thread, they should not ignore posters at their give and take. A thread encompasses all relevant posts dedicated to the thread. Why I was given a warning and why my re-post was deleted, I am not sure. I am quite frankly puzzled by it all. Did someone report my repost and I was quickly given a warning. It happened within an hour of my repost.

[WestCoastRunner]

Seems like the moderators brought this thread to a stop, pretty quick!

[WestCoastRunner]

Snowden is lurking.

[On Guard for Thee]

USA health care..."dead last".....but far more choices than in Canada:

...I believe here I hit upon a basic philosophical difference between Canadian and American healthcare systems: Canada's unified public plan restricts patient autonomy, whereas the US gives much more freedom in treatment decisions to patients and their doctors.

...There are many things that I admire about the Canadian healthcare system. Inflexibility is not one of them.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/elie-dolgin/canada-healthcare-cancer_b_3897522.html

Nope. No more choices, unless you break the bank. Still dead last.

[bush_cheney2004]

Seems like the moderators brought this thread to a stop, pretty quick!

Is this thread locked....it appears not. I don't think we are permitted to repost anything purposely deleted by the mods. I can't see the posts you are referring to as I have several members on ignore due to their proclivity for personal attacks. As for this topic, it is only appropriate to compare and contrast health care "systems" if the contention is that the U.S. is "dead last", when clearly there is evidence otherwise.

Edited June 15, 2014 by bush_cheney2004