Death Panels for All! The health care thread

[Kisai]

I walked away from comicgenesis for a while.

Anyway here's my two cents

"Death Panels", isn't that what the US insurance status quo is already? What is exactly new?

"Socialism is EEEEEVIL", and this comes about because Americans equate socialism with Totaltarian states, not socialized semi-totaltarian nanny states like the UK. Canada is somewhere half between what the UK has and what the US has. We have private medical insurance... for every optional part of the medical system, like dental, optometrists and stuff like that. The private insurance also covers Canadians being shipped to the US because private clinics are not allowed in Canada, and some procedures are only done in the US. Where the government does cover the basic costs, it's a bottomless money pit, and each province runs their health into the ground in their own way. BC's provincial government decided kill all the small towns but closing their hospitals. If you get violently sick in a small town you get put on an ambulance for a one hour trip, and you get billed for it (unless you have private insurance.) Even if you die on the way there.

Political boo-hoos, Obama backpedaling, democrats downplaying the public option. That is exactly how the government in every country works, they only do what is needed to remain in power. Politicians in many countries are simply law makers that are pretty far removed from the low and middle class voters, even if they were voted in by them. Try sending an email to your local representative, I can almost guarantee you'll get a personalized response, but not from the person you wrote it to. They will downplay everything you put in the email that disagrees with what they are doing. Nothing new here move along. If you want to make a difference, get involved. Otherwise shutup and let the chips fall where they may. I don't see the United states moving any more forward on this than the Metric system.

Countries other than the USA, Canada and the UK - Americans know almost nothing about foreign countries medical systems. I'm pretty sure you can get better medical care than the US in many other countries. The only reason Americans tend to think that their system is better, is because you can't use foreign medical systems without being a resident of that country. You only get to hear about the disaster one countries system is by people who marry into another country and are *SHOCKED* that they have to or don't have to pay for something. Americans tend to only know about Canada's free healthcare even though that's pretty far removed from how it actually works, and can vary from the coddling healthcare in Quebec to "there is nothing wrong with you, byebye" health care in BC.

I've ranted, now I shall disappear again.

[Ti-Phil]

Is the healthcare in BC that bad? I admit not having heard how is the healthcare in the other provinces except that the omnipraticians in the Alberta, Saskachewan and Manitoba are paid a lot more than in the other provinces. As for the Quebec's healthcare, while not the best, it get the jobs done even if there is some waiting. Alas, for some illness or injuries, the waiting can be longer.