Quote:
Originally posted by db8r7
One of the big reasons that Canadian and other socialist health care systems work as well as they do is that they benefit from the R&D done by capitalist health care systems. Basically, if the entire world converted to socialized medicine, medical progress would slow down dramatically, and people in need of major surgery would be in major trouble. Right now, Canada gets all of the benefits of a socialist program while, at the same time, knowing that they can cross the border if they need immediate, high quality, or unusual procedures.
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Mmm, not quite.
That's a tired old arguement put out by the health care lobby.
The bottom line is that of all the G-7 nations, only the US has no health care system in place.
Do you honestly think that medical research is not done in Canada, or Britain, or France, or Germany, or Italy, or Japan merely because we have a government run health insurance plan?
Be serious.
Americans tend to cite examples of a few Canadians who seek treatment in the US, or some doctors who practice medicine in the states as examples of how government run health care does not work.
Well, 99% of Canadians seek medical care in Canada, and we live longer than you, have a lower infant mortality rate, and are never without medical service.
Also, keep in mind there are many American doctors who practice medicine in Canada. It doesn't prove a thing.
I think the proof would be in talking to the average citizen in the street, and this one would not want a US styled health care system under any circumstances and probably 85% of Canadians out there would agree.
As to your last sentence, "high quality" health care. I think there are some very "high quality" medical facilities here. Typical american attitude that everywhere else in the world is second rate.
As far as "unusual procedures" go, most americans seem to fear the "unusual disease" will get them. In most cases it's going to be heart disease from eating like pigs, or lung cancer from smoking like a chimney that gets you. Very seldomly will the exotic disease get you. Most people only ever need basic health care