Elizabeth D.Taylor

In summary, we came to the basic conclusion that where the US and Canada are more or less sisters, it’s easy to see why doctors would cross the border (how easy is that?) to work here. But if we both have socialized medicine, then what? How many of those doctors are going to say, move to Germany, to practice medicine? I highly doubt many would.

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lewis

Addiction Recovery Idaho

http://www.addictionrecovery.net/idaho

Traveler’s insurance has existed for many years for all tralevers, I think. However, I’m not sure. But, the point being, is I think the prior comments are very valid and responsible Canadians (or citizens from other countires with a different health care system) make a

PRO-ACTIVE, not de facto, choice.

I also agree to obtain information from many sources, use what works for you, but have an open mind. As was pointed out elsewhere, Michael Moore doesn’t receive his healthcare in Cuba. But, I could care less about Michael Moore, he can buy what he needs.

I care about the average businesses who can’t afford to offer healthcare as a benefit to ALL employees given certain laws (X number of hours worked for Y amount of time), I care about deadbeat parents who opt out of not covering their kids with health insurance instead of buying their new boat, I care about people not accessing free or available care presently available locally and elsewhere in the U.S. and about a whole lot of other things including healthcare.

Ultimately, it is because I care certain principles regarding healthcare and have seen the absolutely clear split in this particular company (which I originally posted about, but clearly can’t write their name), having their own difference of care for U.S. vs. Canadian Citizens. Unfortunately, for me and others on my team, the decision makers for this crew are in Montreal and Victoria. However, the clinicians being “limited” by these decision makers are in the U.S.

In one way Joe, this goes back to your question about why things can’t get done by the FDA and drugs can’t get licensed in the U.S. When U.S. researchers are being “managed” by companies outside of the U.S. and individuals, such as the gentleman with whom I met, are so clueless of what we need in the U.S. vs. other countries, this is where part of the process falls apart. This comment may be more appropriate in the other thread (or both). Coordinating multi-national research is very difficult. From my POV, it worked far better when the headquarters for companies with “branch offices” (for lack of better words) in many companies, always had their main office in the U.S.

I posted this example simply to show how some people think about healthcare, which may be a new view for those not working in healthcare to consider. Do I think this guy is clueless and feels that he is invincible? Absolutely. He has no kids, isn’t married and is a healthy male under 35. His past success with Canadian drug approval process doesn’t prove he has any common sense about healthcare – which was my point.

Nonetheless, I believe he is an important example to use, as Americans think about healthcare further. When 1/7 of U.S. jobs are in healthcare, I think more information is better, not less.

Reminding us about Traveler’s Health Insurance was a plus to me, Jose. I’m glad you did that as I’ve forgotten about that option to travelers. I wish you would write a bit more about it, as I’m very outdated on my knowledge about it.

And just to clarify, while I did fail to write a statement about whether this person opted for Traveler’s Insurance or not, the answer is I wasn’t offered that information. I hope that is a bit clearer to understand. I would have gladly added it, had I been told that much. My “guest” wasn’t exactly chatty at that point!

I’m sure there are interesting points in Moore’s film. If nothing else, it starts a dialogue for additional education or information exchange. I’m learning that sometimes new examples, like the one I posted here yesterday help others think about healthcare differently. Most likely that was Moore’s goal as well. However, I don’t know for sure.

Thanks for the f/u comments, Joe and Jose. I believe they added a lot to maybe a new view of this subject.

O4N

I’m just saying, all the critics on this topic have admitted they did not see the movie.

Besides, who has been swayed by this discussion?

I don’t have the “warm fuzzies” for some people in Canada today, so I decided I would post part of a conversation I had with a high ranking Canadian official, in Nov. as an “educated Canadian’s answer” to this thread. He flew from Montreal to meet with me to discuss some issues. Of course we talked about healthcare in Canada. And I asked him about questions posted earlier on this thread.

However, what was most amusing to me, was when I asked him how he was insured. He promplty responded with a confident smile, with the name of the plan he has via the local university in Montreal. I asked him what happened and how much would he be paying, vs. his Canadian coverage, if he had to have an appendectomy (or some other emergent procedure) while traveling outside of Canada.

This professional is suppose to be one of the best at working with what is equal to the FDA in the U.S. He turned white when I asked that question. He’d never considered it! He realized he would be paying 100% of whatever healthcare costs he might incur, any where else in the world.

I wish I’d had a video tape that I could post here. Talk about one shocked Canadian, who works daily in some of the deepest parts of healthcare in Canada.

FWIW, I don’t expect this to change anyone’s mind about healthcare in the U.S. Few who aren’t in the trenches really understand some of what goes on, and countries such as England, Canada, others in Europe, with a fraction of the population the U.S., don’t face the same challenges we do.

Go back and read what the clinician from England wrote. He didn’t realize all of the U.K. could fit into Idaho. Solving healthcare issues for an area smaler than one state is much easier than for a nation as large as the U.S.

Perhaps he posted again, I don’t know. I don’t read this thread. I only wanted to post today as I’m so aggrevated with how some Canadians approach healthcare compared to the U.S.

Anyway, it is an entertaining, and very true story. I’d love to identify this person’s name and more comments he made, but I can’t. However, I’ll make a bet he checked into health insurance via the U.S. offices of his company after that visit. Or maybe he’ll just board a plane with bronchitis or pneumonia and fly home to Canada for care, while infecting everyone else.

Quite interesting overall.

I am an American living in France and I have had great health care. I’ve had my 2 children here and was carefully followed and paid for the whole way through. Because I participated in message boards with other Americans (residing in the U.S.), I can tell you about some of the differences I experienced.

When pregnant with my daughter, I had FIVE ultrasounds, and with my son FOUR. Three ultrasounds is actually the norm, but they don’t hesitate if there are any unanswered questions about the fetus’s age or development. The norm for Americans is ONE ultrasound. Also, it is my understanding that in the U.S. ultrasounds are performed by technicians. Mine were performed by my obstetrician.

I remember a couple people on my message board wondering whether they could handle the pain of childbirth because their medical insurance wouldn’t cover an epidural!!! Incredible. In France everybody has the right to one with 100% coverage.

My mother, when pregnant with my younger brother, worked right up to the end of her pregnancy. A good friend of mine in the U.S. recently did the same, in spite of a heart condition which made a C-section necessary because of the strain on her heart. And yet it was OK for her to work when she was on the verge of giving birth? I was put on bed rest the second I complained of fatigue. That was at the end of my second trimester. And I was paid 65% of my salary until the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, at which time the percentage increased. No wonder France has a lower rate of infant mortality and lower percentage of premature births.

Outside of maternity, our experience(and those of our friends and acquaintances) here in France has always been that you get the care that you need when you need it.

To me, one of the obvious differences in the way that money is spent in the health care system comes down to appearances and support staff. Doctor’s offices in France are generally not as pretty as the ones in the U.S. They are clean but sparse and definitely not touched by interior decorators. General practioners often have to answer their own phones during consultations, and there is no medical secretary to greet you unless you see a specialist. Of course, since you don’t have to fill out lengthy insurance forms upon arrival, this is not a big deal.

Hospitals and clinics are always clean and fitted out with the latest medical equipment, but you don’t find the carpeting, framed art and mood lighting that I’ve seen in some of the more affluent medical clinics in the U.S. In fact, the last time I visited my parents, I accompanied my mother to have an M.R.I. at one of these ritzy clinics. I was really impressed by the gleaming atrium and the generally luxurious feel of the place. But after spending a couple hours there, with my mother only seeing the doctor for a few minutes of that time and being told that they’d get back to her with the results in a couple weeks, I was less impressed. My mother agreed that the building was nice but she said she’d rather have the kind of care I receive…

It’s simply just not the case.