Sicko movie review

P_Funk · 06-30-07, 08:04 PM

Well reading up on the differences 'twixt our two systems has given me the intellecual fuel to give at least a simplistic comparison.

Basically in Canada the vast majority of health care providers are privately run. However these are not for profit organizations and they send their bills directly to the provincial government. There are also public run hospitals and clinics. All health care in Canada is paid for by the government under what we call Medicare. It was initially a provincial affair that started in Saskatchewan in the 1946 under the precursor to the Saskatchewan NDP to supplement the shortage of doctors through subsidy. The Federal government became involved in the 57 to supplement the provinces since individual provinces can't afford true universal health care. Up until the 60s the US system was almost exactly the same. However Lester B. Pearson, with heavy pressure from the NDP (recall my musings about the benefits of minority government), began to fund all provinvices to create universal health care plans.

Today at least 70% of all health care is paid for by the various levels of government. The remaining 30% is paid by private sectors for things not covered by the national plan. Thats prescription drugs, optometry and dentistry.

The US still has significant government involvement in the health care system only it doesn't cover health insurance universally. Costs are also higher in many respects. Administration being at least twice as expensive I think. Prescription drugs are also significantly more expensive. Interestingly enough the buraucracy of the American system is significantly larger than the Canadian one because of the diverse private interests. Many of the extra costs for private advertising and such are passed on to the end users.

Thats what I can say right now. Hard numbers suggest that overall quality of health care is higher in Canada despite the hugher number of doctors and better recovery rates for some illnesses in the US. One statistic shows that Cancer recovery is better in the US while likelihood of getting cancer is lower in Canada. Statistics show better life expectancy and infant mortality rate.

EDIT. @waste gate. Yes universal health care is a 'handout'. Thats because its a function of the responsibility of society to provide the basic necessities for prosperity. Much like the freedom of expression allows intellectual growth so does health care for the growth of life. One cannot be a competitive member of the market if he is sick. One cannot grow up to change the world if he dies as a young man. And simply put we value life in our society above all else. Health care is the most fundamental form of life preservation, even before law and criminal justice.

If you don't believe in the right to universal health coverage then you're just living in a different mind set than the rest of us arguing for it.

06-30-07, 08:04 PM	#31
P_Funk Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Canada, eh? Posts: 2,537 Downloads: 129 Uploads: 0	Well reading up on the differences 'twixt our two systems has given me the intellecual fuel to give at least a simplistic comparison. Basically in Canada the vast majority of health care providers are privately run. However these are not for profit organizations and they send their bills directly to the provincial government. There are also public run hospitals and clinics. All health care in Canada is paid for by the government under what we call Medicare. It was initially a provincial affair that started in Saskatchewan in the 1946 under the precursor to the Saskatchewan NDP to supplement the shortage of doctors through subsidy. The Federal government became involved in the 57 to supplement the provinces since individual provinces can't afford true universal health care. Up until the 60s the US system was almost exactly the same. However Lester B. Pearson, with heavy pressure from the NDP (recall my musings about the benefits of minority government), began to fund all provinvices to create universal health care plans. Today at least 70% of all health care is paid for by the various levels of government. The remaining 30% is paid by private sectors for things not covered by the national plan. Thats prescription drugs, optometry and dentistry. The US still has significant government involvement in the health care system only it doesn't cover health insurance universally. Costs are also higher in many respects. Administration being at least twice as expensive I think. Prescription drugs are also significantly more expensive. Interestingly enough the buraucracy of the American system is significantly larger than the Canadian one because of the diverse private interests. Many of the extra costs for private advertising and such are passed on to the end users. Thats what I can say right now. Hard numbers suggest that overall quality of health care is higher in Canada despite the hugher number of doctors and better recovery rates for some illnesses in the US. One statistic shows that Cancer recovery is better in the US while likelihood of getting cancer is lower in Canada. Statistics show better life expectancy and infant mortality rate. EDIT. @waste gate. Yes universal health care is a 'handout'. Thats because its a function of the responsibility of society to provide the basic necessities for prosperity. Much like the freedom of expression allows intellectual growth so does health care for the growth of life. One cannot be a competitive member of the market if he is sick. One cannot grow up to change the world if he dies as a young man. And simply put we value life in our society above all else. Health care is the most fundamental form of life preservation, even before law and criminal justice. If you don't believe in the right to universal health coverage then you're just living in a different mind set than the rest of us arguing for it. __________________