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American In Poorer Health Than Canadians; Any relationship to "Universal care?"
Topic Started: May 31 2006, 07:59 AM (441 Views)
pentax
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Kamloops - BC Interior
Quote:
 
One more plus for the Americans: Fewer than 1 percent said they were unable to get needed care because of long waits, compared with 3.5 percent of Canadians.


Either that's a mistakenly poorly-worded statement, or I have to question it's truth - "unable" is not a subjective word, it must be taken literally.
I can't think why one would be UNABLE, unless you haven't kept up your premiums, and are very poor. (even then you would be taken in, and the public medical plan would simply go after you for back-payment of your premium afterward... I have known this to happen to the odd person.)
If one was to qualify the statement by saying "on a timely basis" - then yes, I would agree - it is not at all satisfactory in a good number of procedures. Joint replacement is one of the worst categories, a year or more is not uncommon. MRI's are slow, too.

But on the OTHER HAND, when my Dad was sticken with what looks like a Mini-stroke in May, he received a CAT-scan within 24 hours, on a weekend and in an E.R. of a public hospital.
A few years ago, I had a ruptured blood-vessel in my stomach, so serious that I received TEN units of blood-products over three days, and the best treatment was only available in Vancouver. So after about 36 hours, I was FLOWN in an air-ambulance to Vancouver and taken immediately into the appropriate section of yet another public hospital, and was released two days later, without even a cut (they go down your throat with a fancy "Crazy-Glue" type of device).
ALL ON THE MEDICAL PLAN!
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"Kirk to Enterprise - Very funny, Scotty.... now beam down my clothes!"
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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
Justine
Jun 7 2006, 01:59 AM
" how people perceive their health" 

So maybe  there are more American hyperchondriacs. ??  :floorrollin:

Well, Justine, funny as your odd distortion of my words is, it does point to a problem with health care I know exists here. People seem to consume health services covered by insurance without thought of the high premiums they pay monthly or quarterly or don't even see because it's withdrawn from pay like income tax. At the moment it's only a small co-pay, so why not run to the doctor for every ache and pain. But that "hypochondria"contributes a lot to skyrocketing costs. Are Canadians like that, or are you all a little more conscious of costs. I would think less with government-run health care.
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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bikemanb
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Liberal Conservative
Our current system of health care encourages trips to the doctor when ever you feel you might be ill but discourages well care, never has made sense to me.

Some once would not pay for birth contorl pills, seems perventing the sickness would be much less expensive than a nine month course of treatment and all the underlying possibilities it brings with it. ;)

For what it is worth my COBRA is $850/month while a alternate policy with large deductibles was around $630/month.
Bill, Rita and Chloe the Terror Cat

For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions, even on important subjects, which I once thought right but found to be otherwise.

Benjamin Franklin
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Justine
Member
Bikemanb, is COBRA a medical insurance plan? SOunds very exspensive. If I had to pay 850$ a month I think I would go into the doctor alot, why not recieve something for all that money?

Chris, you pointed out that the report was on how people " perceive " their health, not a doctors true assesment of health. I said perhaps more Americans were hyperchrodrias( sp?) , and was only half joking. You see , perhaps the medias messages that show fit strong healthy 20-25 yr olds on tv, movies , and all print ads, make the average person feel that they are not as fit, as strong, as energetic as they should be.
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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
I would agree that that is a contributing factor here, the constant blitz and blare of health and medicine ads.
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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bikemanb
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Liberal Conservative
Justine,

Yes $850/month for medical for Rita and me. They (insurance) actually track your usage and share among themselves looking for high users so when my legally mandated COBRA period (18 months) run out and I have to go get a policy outside my group I would be blacklisted rate wise, legally they can't refuse me but they can charge extremely high rates.

Chris,

Having done business with the pharma's I can tell you they now employee more people and spend more money in sales and marketing than R&D, reason.......they want you to tell your doctor you want the new wonder drug BLACMAGICA instead of a generic (which usually works as well).
Bill, Rita and Chloe the Terror Cat

For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions, even on important subjects, which I once thought right but found to be otherwise.

Benjamin Franklin
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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
Yep, I've worked with pharmas too. A genetics/biomed company I worked for failed because they hired on a whole marketing team before the product was ready for market.
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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