A recent study shows that Canadians are facing the longest waiting times for medically necessary care in almost two decades.
With all the talk about how bad Obamacare will be, with its standardized benefit structures, centralized command and control, and over-arching subsidy program that will drive as many as 80 million Americans into Medicaid (yes, you read that right, it’s in the bill!) one should remember why so many Canadians have come south of the border to access care: they can’t get any, which is something we are going to be facing in the not-too-distant future, as anyone who’s ever studied socialized, government run or controlled, capitated health care delivery systems knows all too well. Remember: in the Orwellian future of American health care, you are no longer the customer – you are a unit.
ITEM: In a report from late last year, the Fraser Institute, Canada’s leading public policy think-tank, said this:
- “Canadians are being forced to wait almost four-and-a-half months, on average, to receive surgical care, prolonging the pain and suffering patients and their families are forced to endure.”
And this:
- “Despite significant increases in government health spending, Canadians are still waiting too long to access medically necessary treatment.”
Amazingly, Canadians put with waiting times between referral by a general practitioner or PCP and consultation with a specialist of between 7 1/2 weeks to almost 10 weeks, depending on where they live. Obviously, Canucks are way more patient than anyone in my family.
It gets worse:
-I pity the poor fool who needs orthopedic surgery: average wait is more than 39 weeks (more than 9 months).
-And, this is a stunner: if you need neurosurgery, like, on your brain (!) be prepared to pray a lot: you’ll wait 38.3 weeks.
No wonder Canada has introduced “market reforms” that finally allow some people to buy private health insurance. Too bad we’ve taken the wrong path and will have to learn the hard way what Canada and Britain have already learned.