Myths About Canadian Health Care

As I work for a major health system I often get questions about the proposed upcoming health care reform and I hear a lot of things about Canadian health care and its supposed flaws. Due to a bad back, I have actually had an opportunity to use Canadian health care several years ago on a vacation. My experience is that the quality of the care I received was on par with previous American experiences and the wait was the same. The big difference is that my emergency only cost me $15.00 and that was for the prescriptions.

You are going to hear a lot about the supposed flaws in the Canadian system over the next few weeks and months. Please be skeptical about claims that Canadians can not get service or that they are flooding over the border to get American care.

I suggest you read "Debunking Canadian Health Care Myths"
by Rhonda Hackett available at http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/06/07-0.

On Sunday I wrote letters to President Obama, our Senators, and Rep. Peters urging them to support a single payer health insurance system. I encourage you to also contact your legislators and Mr. Obama and plead for a health care system designed by and for the people and not one constructed to benefit insurance companies.