You Canadians probably know that we in the US are fighting with the issue of nationalizing our health care system. We are being told two things simultaneously. One, Canada has one of the best national health care systems in the world, and also that it's so bad there, that many canadians have to come to the US to get medical treatment. there was also a story in our papers that said a Canadian government person came here for treatment not to long ago. So? How is it? good thing? Bad thing?
Just so you know, I personally think it's a bad idea.

I sure would like to read some Canadian responses here. I have talked to Canadians and seen them talking to Michael Moore, and have yet to hear one who wanted a health care system like in the US. Sure, I hear second hand stories of all sorts- but is there any one out there from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore or Western Europe that will say here that the US has the better health care, one that they would like for their country?

Get rid of the FDA, the most corrupy of all the government organizations. Allow competition in the pharmaceutical field. Prices for prescriptions will go down and so will insurance. Let the free market deal with it. And to those that say,"You can't get rid of of the FDA, they protects us." Take a look at the recalls of meds and foods. If they were doing their job, it wouldn't happen.

So let's vote in folks that will give the FDA the funds and support to do their job. I'm not capable of doing it myself, and neither is the market place. I keep an old bottle from the pre FDA days labelled " leonado's creasoted caugh syrup tampa florida". Free market stuff, best kept off the market.

I would like to say that Health Care actually falls into each Provincial Government's jurisdiction (and is partly funded by the federal government), so it changes from province to province. In BC, the health care semi-privatized. So things such as medication, dentists, eye care (unless if there's an actual harmful serious problem) is covered by the client or his insurence. Same with checkups and other medical expenses that aren't "essential" (which is usually determined at the doctor's discretion).
In BC, the government attempted privatized surgery for those you can afford it, but it was struck down in the Legislative Assembly.
The health care system is not as bad as the American media makes it out to be. They take the worse case from 10 years ago and try to pass it as a standard.

Would you prefer to live with the US or your BC health care system?

Not all of our media makes your system look bad, in fact, I'd say most of them make it look like a dream come true. How do your doctors like it? One of the sticking points here is the claim that a Nat health care sys will produce shortages in med services and even doctors.

Yep- Give them the support to do their job. We need the protection

its not a bad idea and that story in the paper is probably concerning elective surgery. our healthcare may or may not be the best in the world i really dont know, but i can tell you we dont live in constant fear of getting injured and losing our house because an insurance company doesnt want to pay. its just my opinion ( and im as conserevative as the next guy) but there is something inherently evil about proffititng from peoples health because when someone is dying no amount of money is to much to ask. contrary to what you are told we dont wait that long in the er and transplants are based on availability. really health is something we dont really have to worry about. our doctors are every bit as good as anywhere else and standards of care are very good. prescription drugs are comparatively cheap. most provinces require a monthly fee of around 35$ for one person if your employer doesnt cover or about 100 for a family of four ( personally i have never paid and never been declined treatment or recieved a bill for any thing as it is illegal for them to turn you away). alot of the negative stories you may hear are probably conjured up by the very people that may stand to lose from universal health care i.e private hospitals, insurance companies and they dont care about anything but making money. the united states is the only western country that doesnt have it and we all seem to make out just fine. Remember for every horror story you may have heard about canandian healthcare ive heard 50 horror stories about the american system. i hope that helps you

QFT.

Also, scrap the whole subsidized employer HMO thing, it's outdated, convoluted and inflationary. Let the market take over.