@Ganymede said:
@Shebakoby said:
As a result, millions of canadians can no longer find a family doctor, and thus have precisely 0 access to specialists.
Are you one of those millions of Canadians? Because, as a Canadian, I was, and am, not.
Nor was my mother, who was diagnosed (again) with thyroid cancer. She was diagnosed within 2 weeks, and had surgery scheduled 3 weeks later. She could have gotten in earlier, but she was busy traveling.
The funny thing about these stories is that I've never actually met a Canadian that ever had a problem getting a required surgery done. I've also never actually met a Canadian that ever had to wait for a cancer scan longer than 2 weeks. And I've known plenty of them.
I have, however, met and read the records for dozens of Americans who have been the victims of medical malpractice. I've read medical malpractices cases for scores more. And this is only in the State of Ohio.
People like to attribute the Canadian horror stories to OMG Canada's health care system sucks. You should check out the actual number of Americans who have been the victims of their own health care system. I think you'll conclude, as I have, that whether the system is a single-payer public system or a oligopolistic private system is immaterial. You will likely conclude that doctors, nurses, health care professionals, and their patients make mistakes.
I think you will also conclude, as I have, that medical professionals that don't have to worry about coverage issues or costs will be able to spend more time training and researching than balancing monthly budgets.
Okay, first off, I like the Canadian health care system, overall. Yes, it has its flaws. No doubt. However, in support of @Shebakoby, and having worked in the health care system in various capacities for 9+ years, there have been patients who have had to wait because of low priority. And yes, specialists can be very hard to get in to, and wait times do vary, some being upwards of 3-4 months or longer depending on what case your doctor makes for you. This ties in to the fact that there are increasingly few family doctors. Part of this is because the government, in their infinite wisdom, decided to place caps on the seats for medical school awhile back to stem the tide, and partially because it is no longer as profitable nor as safe legally to become a family doctor. When you have a family doctor (if you are lucky enough to find one, either with their own practice or practicing out of a clinic) your case will likely be stronger than the walk-in clinic doctor who sends off a referral that is not nearly as detailed. It's not the best system. That said, privatization is not the best system, either. It's a very exclusive system that reflects inequality in society.
The upshot of all this is that Canada's health care system does not suck. But it is not the best, either.