[DianneS]

Hi hutchibk - and others who posted,

Thanks for referring me to the article hutchibk.

I am suspect of what a Los Angeles journalist knows about healthcare in Canada. Has this person lived here and experienced it, or do they go on heresay? If this woman had surgery at this 'clinic', why not name the clinic or any physicians names? I consider this type of 'journalism' to be propaganda if it is not backed up by facts. It is very suspect.

They also don't seem to be aware that British Columbia is a completely different province from Alberta. But that's ok, Canadians are used to being maligned by the US in some form or another. Blame it on ignorance on the part of the US.

I think it's humorous how many Americans suddenly have an opinion about our healthcare, but they couldn't find Manitoba or Nova Scotia or the Yukon on a map- to name a few! But some US journalists who have never experienced our healthcare have opinions? Curious.

If a Canadian who had never lived in the US or experienced the US healthcare system wrote an article on their opinion of US healthcare, would anyone in the US believe what that person said?

People in the US may hear on TV or read in the paper of people who go to the US from Canada for medical care. I & my friends personally know of NO one who has done this and I ask any of you to name one person that you personally know that has done so.

You cannot believe everything you hear or read. I base my opinions on what I have experienced and actually seen.

The US is terribly afraid of losing control of the medical system and having it be actually cost effective and patient driven. Insurance companies will lose money, doctors and hospitals will lose money, and hey, don't forget the pharmaceutical companies. And that, sorry to say, is the bottom line.

The US simply MUST put people first over money. I doubt, however, that this will happen in my lifetime. The words socialized medicine or national health are not scary words as CNN or Fox News or the LA Times might imply, but infer a human centered healthcare system that provides for everyone, regardless of financial status. Isn't that is the US Constitution - 'provide for the common welfare'? What does that mean to you? That is what we do here in Canada. Yes, our taxes are higher but - you get what you pay for, don't you? Would you rather pay slightly higher tax as most countries do and not worry about how you're going to keep your home or job if you're ill?

Coming from the US, we haven't noticed our income changing much at all from the US, even with our 'higher taxes', but we are very thankful for our socialized medicine because if I'd had these medical problems in the States, we'd be bankrupt or my husband would have to try to find a job. We have been retired since we immigrated to Canada.

As for private clinics they must be on the decline if they ever existed as there isn't any advertising for them. Since no one has to wait for care that is ESSENTIAL and not ELECTIVE here I can't imagine that private clinics would have people standing in line to pay privately for what they can get free.

You have heard from real Canadians here who are telling you that we like our healthcare system. I never thought I'd have to experience the healthcare system here in quite this way, but Canada has been very good to me, providing me with aneurysm surgery BEFORE I was even a Canadian citizen. I think that's pretty darn humane. They could have said 'no way, go back to the States for your surgery' but that never came up. As I said, I chose what doctor I wanted (out of province) at no cost. My experience with the bc diagnosis was: surgery; no cost, chemo, no cost, followups, no cost, pharmacy, no cost. I chose where I wanted all of my procedures including chemo.

I call that freedom.

I really urge all of you to write your congressmen! You guys cannot accept these new 'guidelines'- they are inadequate, inhumane and downright dangerous. In the long run it will cost the US more for advanced cases of disease rather than using screening programs to detect it early.

Sorry this got long but I feel strongly about it. I will provide a link in the next post to a website about how satisfied Canucks are with our healthcare system - I believe it was 80% last time I looked.

Dianne