Saturday, October 11, 2008

when "free" isn't.

Free medical care for everyone! Everyone is guaranteed doctors and medicine! No one has to be sick, no one has to suffer, everyone will get the treatment they need - whether they can pay for it or not. Universal healthcare sounds great, right?

Unfortunately universal healthcare, also known as socialized medicine, with its long lines, shortages of medical professionals, and shoddy care* has been shown to be a bad idea. It is also the first step, when instituted, to the government being able to control most aspects of your life. In 1961, Ronald Reagan explained why...


“Back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people would adopt every fragment of the socialist program…"
- Ronald Reagan


* 7-ish minutes showing why the miracle of the free Canadian heathcare system is a lie.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's not free, the taxpayer pays for it. This encourages a mentality of "if $1000 of my tax money is going to pay for health care, then I want to get at least $1001 worth of doctoring, drugs etc." per year, just to stay ahead of the curve.

Combine this with the subsidised university and medical school cost to the taxpayer and the lure of big bucks in the US, which results in a drain of Canadian doctors and nurses, and you have a system which must ultimately collapse.

chris horton said...

Yep, and people still aren't waking up and realizing the catastrophy happening around us,everyday.

It's no wonder they aim to disarm us.......

Quigley said...

Most of us work roughly until tax day (Apr 15th) for the government to pay our taxes and in Canada they work until roughly July for the government for their "free" care...you pay for it every day and then wait in line to get it.

The rich up there get their health care in the US (so they don't have to wait like the rest) and are not too happy about the US going the same way.

When the government runs our health care system it will be run like the government...UGH!!!

Old NFO said...

Robd makes a good point! Many Canadians come to the US to get hospital services because they would literally have to wait years for non threatening illness (like hernia surgery) the elderly may die before they ever get "simple" procedures like stints and angeoplasty.

brbiswrite said...

I've enjoyed reading this blog. I'm a lurker who generally stays outside looking in. However, discussions about universal health care usually get a response.

During the 18 winters our family endured in Canada, I found the health care system worked well for us. We got what we needed in a timely manner. This was in the Eighties and Nineties; things may have changed since.

I would say that most Canadians realize that their healthcare system is not free. It only takes a look at one's take-home pay next to the gross amount to realize that we paid alot.

I would also say that many/most Canadians are chronic whiners and complainers about anything to do with government. (Ask PDB)

My recent hospital stay here cost over $8000 for three days of diagnostics and nonsurgical treatment. I am being billed by NINE (9!) different medical entities. That doesn't seem very efficient. In Canada, each province has one agency that does all the payouts and billing.

Our experience is, of course, only anecdotal evidence of a system that worked well for us. It may not work here.

BRB

Christopher Boondoc said...

Breda, again I am so impressed by what you have offered on this blog. What a great recording by my old hero, Ronald Reagan. He makes his points so well. If you want to see present day US social healthcare, go stop by your local VA. Many vets go to a private doctor and would never consider setting foot in a VA, even though it's free.

Home on the Range said...

I have friends in Ontario, they're always amazed I can just go to the phone book or a medical reference website and pick a doctor. If I don't like the doctor I can pick another one. Sure their care is "free" but if you look at the increase in taxes they had to pay for it, their health care is more expensive than mine.

TOTWTYTR said...

National Healthcare: The efficiency of FEMA and the compassion of the IRS.

Mike W. said...

A childhood friend of mine is Canadian. His grandfather came to the U.S. several years back for cancer treatment and paid out of pocket because he absolutely could not get specialized care in Canada without a huge wait.

Roberta X said...

I'm not much moved by claims of "efficiency" in medical services -- if it is, that's a net loss in jobs; if it is neither more nor less efficient, it's still a move of a many jobs from private to government work (and I ask you to compare gov't workers to their private-sector counterparts: who gets paid more? How polie and caring are they to clients?) and if it is less efficient, it's even more surly .goc workers and my tax money, thrown away to treat bums. In any event, there is no incentive to keep oneself in good health.

Y'know what's efficient? Not treating older folks who are going to die anyway; euthanizing persons with problems that are costly to treat and uncertain of result. That's "efficient" and the difference between government-run health care and private health care is, there's no entity to stop government doing it.

A governmnet with the power to give you whatever you want also has the power to take it all away.

dan said...

with Obama you guys soon may be able to win an appointment with a Doctor through a health care lottery as well

copy and paste below about a lottery for getting a Doctor in Canada.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/08/07/national-post-editorial-board-betting-your-health-on-canada-s-doctor-lottery.aspx

I will sorry for you guys after November you will be as socialist as Canada if things turn out as predicted for your elections
Regards
dan
regards
Dan