Shona Holmes isn't the only Canadian brain tumor survivor!

[abcya]

Very glad to know that the system worked for you! Seems as though it's been working for the overwhelming majority of Canadians. It's so awful to have to see Holmes' ad running knowing that there is truly more to the story...and even though most of us Americans do not know much of anything about your health care system, the less arrogant ones are willing to admit that we would benefit from a system that is concerned about the patients instead of the profits...

[SwordofManticorE]

God bless you sister. I can only hope that Shona ends this campaign she is leading to end health care possiblities in the US. The problem in the US is the population and it could be way too expensive for Gov if they go the same direction we do here in Canada. America must approach this with open eyes and find the best solution for them with minemum cost, but effective.

[bj615]

Thank you for telling the truth and being honest about a real cancer story! I hope you are doing well!!

[jshipschan]

@bj615

thanks -- doing very well.

[landongendur]

I'm so happy to hear your success story! Thanks for your insight!

[Foamhead]

Not only are you a cancer survivor, you're cute too.

[SparwoodApple]

Shonna Holmes is a liar as he had Rathkes cleft cyst which is defined as "Rathkes cleft cyst is a benign cystic lesion" which has a 0% mortality rate

[kittyspurrr]

Molmes had Rathke's cleft cyst , for which she refused treatment and didn't seek a second opinion or further care in Canada. She preferred to mortgage her house so she could get what she FELT was better health care in Arizona.

She has that right, but... she is now seeking full recompense . She continuously stated her life was in danger and Doctors in Canada didn't care or offer treatment. All lies and I see her as an abuser of the system she vilifies.

[birchwashere]

Plus... Because we Canadians have access to healthcare, many abuse it. There is no need to see the doctor for a cold. COME ON...really some people go to the doctor like it's freekin fun or something. That taxes the system, stop it. You know who you are.

[VanceHill]

That happens anywhere. The local free clinic here in Los Angeles is supposed to be used for emergencies, but it's routinely crowded with anything and everything. They have to use a system wherein they ask the visitor to rate their pain on a scale of 1 to 10.

[canadianlattitude]

Shona Holmes has been proven to be a liar.

[malenursetbay]

Shona Holmes it turns out DID NOT have a brain tumour! She just wanted to jump the line... she had a cyst!

[tjdavi04]

Actually, American doctors get better wages, however, they have much higher malpractice insurance rates.

[greaperca]

My doctor which I've had since I was a child had suddenly fell ill and is no longer able to care for me if there was ever an illness to diagnose. Rather than hanging his patients out to dry, he referred his patients to the doctor down the hall with no questions asked. We in Canada do have a shortage of doctors only because the ones that do graduate from Med school, often find better pay in the US so therefore they move down there due to higher wages.

[ivanhalfpint]

Just wanna make this clear to everyone out there I live in nova scotia Canada - and I have for a25 years in my life - one year ago i started getting headaches - I needed a familly doctor - I picked up my phone book called the office closest to me made an appointment with the doctor and he became my familly doctor. I picked him - and the process took about 60 seconds..... Dont have the slighetst idea what Lizzie is talking about - and I have ALWAYS picked my doctors...

[lizzielou73]

I have been a resident of Nova Scotia for all 36 years of my life, and will have to agree to disagree with you ivan. Patients cannot choose a doctor when none in their community are taking new patients. My own family is experiencing this problem. They moved from Ontario and cannot get a doctor in their community, if a new one arrives, its a race to get on that doctor's list. Choice? Only, if one is extremely lucky, and the doctor situation is growing WORSE.

[kevinwayte]

As I would have guessed - you have a bee in your bonnet. But please don't project your situation on the national Canadian healthcare scene. Just as Shona Holmes is a rare case, so are situations like yours. I have lived in Nova Scotia for all 37 years of my life - New Glasgow and now Halifax. Never has been a problem having a physician. I assume you must be somewhere small/remote. The same situation could be said in all the one-horse towns in the USA. But the debate is about who should pay.

[lizzielou73]

There are many Nova Scotians traveling two and three hours to a local walk-in clinic, because they cannot find a family doctor in their community. Some even travel from Halifax. Lets agree to disagree.

[1964orange]

Yes, there are problems with doctor shortages. that is not up for debate. I have insurance and am extremely limited to who and I can see and when. There are no second opinions because they will not pay for it. I live in Kentucky. We have doctor shortages too. There are long wait times here and in other states that I have lived in in the last 20 yrs. So not perfect, however, you will not loose your house when you do see a doctor. You have a system that is still working for the most part.

[robbell]

Just think how much better it will be when all the uninsured Americans with phony health cards stop using our system. That's why in Ontario the government is spending a lot of money to issue more secure cards. Most of the abuse is in the border towns. These people deserve affordable health care but from their own government, not the Canadian tax payer.

[murphyj87]

I once lived in a village of 700 people in Nova Scotia and there was one physician right in the village and there were a dozens of physicians within a 30 minute drive. In 58 years, most of which were in Nova Scotia, I have never not has a physician.

[mikestky]

Good video. I'm an American living in Japan & participate in their Universal Healthcare System (Single payer). I'm very satisified with the care. I can go to any doctor/clinic/hospital I want (many private), can go directly to a specialist and can get most of the same drugs (made by the same companies) that I can in the US, for less.

The system is easy-to-use, transparent & affordable. As a businessperson, I also find it easy to administer. It's far superior to anything I had in the US.

[Attarraxxia]

Thank you.

I've had five surgeries for my medical problems, at Joseph Brant hospital in burlington, Holmes' local hospital. They were first class. if she weren't a fat, disgusting, self agrandizing charicature of a human being, people would listen to Holmes. But since she can't convince Canadians their health care isn't good, she has to convince people who have never experienced canadian health care instead. dialogue is great, and dissent even better, but she's just plain ideologic..

[ivanhalfpint]

WEll Lizzie I live in Nova Scotia - and I looke din the phonebook wakled down to the doctors office and signed n as a patient - I DID pick him... Plus I have a doctor back home in Cape Breotn who I picked and canc change any time - so stop spreading the crap Lizzie - in Canada WE can pick our doctors and Ive been doing it all my life

[lizzielou73]

No, we cannot easily pick our doctors, sigh, there is a doctor shortage for one, and I'm speaking the truth.There are many people in NS that do not have a doctor and through no choice of their own.

[cocgle]

Thank you for this. I wish you a continued recovery and good health.

I think the litmus test is this, for all of it's failures (and there are some) very few Canadians would switch system with the USA.

[lizzielou73]

There are many problems with Canadian healthcare. Many of us do face long waits for care.

[ivanhalfpint]

Cant change doctors????? In Canada ya can pick what ever doctor you want..... BTW great video maybe we can get ya on CBC  :)

[lizzielou73]

No, we cannot, I'm not sure which province you live in, but in Nova Scotia it can take months to see a specialist. We really do not have much of a choice, as to doctors. It took a year for me to see a specialist for a severe lung condition. I'd been sent to Ontario to see this doctor. Canadian healthcare is not all its cracked up to be.

[onlyrey]

@lizzielou73, just saw your message about the lung condition, I'm sorry.

Here in the US you would never be able to get health care, because your lung condition would become a pre-existing condition; the insurance companies would not insure you, and hospitals will only take you if you are in an emergency life threatening condition. They would still charge you and go after your assets if somehow you get treated.

.

[lizzielou73]

Why is it that I have relatives with pre-existing conditions, who live in the US, and they receive excellent care? I also know people with cystic fibrosis who receive excellent care in the US, and they do have insurance. I also had a severe asthma attack in California which was life-threatening and a medical emergency. I received excellent care in the ER, ICU, and after being transferred to the medical floor. The doctor assigned to my care was excellent.

[Techteacher62]

Lizzie, your relatives are fortunate enough to be on a decent medical plan. However, many Americans are losing coverage in the current economy. Americans die because they never go to the hospital - why? They can't afford to.I don't claim the Canadian system is perfect, but you think all Americans with your condition get the same medical care you get in Canada, then you are dreaming. No medical? No treatment.

[lizzielou73]

Many Canadians are likewise not receiving quality care of treatment. Some are dying due to long waiting lists.

[onlyrey]

@lizzilou73.

Most Americans DO NOT have a family doctor; the most I have seen of a Doctor is in walk-in clinics, for 5 minutes, and these walk-in-clinic doctors have been the most human. Everytime I go into the same walk-in-clinic I get a different doctor. Anything I have, I pray to god is not a big problem, because if it is, then I will have a pre-existing condition for the rest of my life.

Maybe your US friends with Cystic Fibrosis have US Medicare which is 100% Government sponsored.

.

[onlyrey]

@lizzielou73,

It is estimated that 24,000 yes, 24K Americans die each year due to lack of coverage (either uninsured or underinsured).

.

[kevinwayte]

Hmmmmm lizzie...wonder why there is allegedly no "waiting" in the USA? Because the lines are short or non-existant ! Why are the surgeons standing around waiting, able to give instant care? Because the sick are culled down to only the *approved* or *paying out of pocket* patients ! Take away the filter and going single-payer, all care for all people, zero billing to the patient, and US hospitals will have 4X to 5X the traffic. Yes, priority and scheduling will become a new concept.

[kevinwayte]

Think if everybody's car insurance went federal, and now ALL maintenance and fixups (car care) were paid for by the government... every garage and dealership would be very very busy, and yes waiting lists may form, priorities as a concept would become the norm. But everybody's car would be in tiptop shape, no financial or insurance premium barrier causing people to let their cars go....well in Canada, we do this for our BODIES ! Get it ? How can a healthy nation not be a top priority ?

[lizzielou73]

This is not true!

[Techteacher62]

Ah, but the same is happening in the US if you don't have money/insurance. It's just that you never hear about the ones without insurance who NEVER go to the doctors. There is an article on Yahoo about a free medical clinic at the Inglewood Stadium in Los Angeles - 15,000+ poor people turned out to seek treatment - and for many it was the first time they had seen a doctor or dentist in decades due to poverty. Thank God we don't have that in Canada, where everybody has medical.

[murphyj87]

Lizzie. You have it far better than the average American, and every experience in my 58 years contradicts the phoney story you're telling.

[lizzielou73]

At least I'd be treated and would not have to wait months or up to a year to see a specialist or longer when it comes to surgery. I have friends in the US with cystic fibrosis and they have never been thrown out on the street not have they been refused treatment. They have access to high tech care like the vest (for chest physio) which is often not available in Canada, because its deemed too expensive.

[murphyj87]

Funny, I saw a respirologist in a couple of weeks for my lung problem.

[lizzielou73]

No, we cannot pick whatever doctor we want. It's very hard to get a family doctor.

[murphyj87]

Of course you can choose your physician in Nova Scotia or in ANY province. You must not have a phone book. That's all you need.

[onlyrey]

So Canadians can change physicians? We are told here in the US that because of your "socialized" system, you can't change Doctors. Thank you for the video and education. Hope things continue well.

.

[lizzielou73]

Actually, it can be very hard to get an appointment with a specialist, and this must be done through a family doctor. Many Canadians do not even had a family doctor. See: Desperately seeking doctors now (youtube video). In reality, there are many problems with the Canadian healthcare system.

[murphyj87]

Of ciourse Canadians can choose whatever physician thye want at any time. There are many Americans who have a lot of money to make by spreasding false things about Cnadian health care, and that's what they are, falsehoods. There are alos a few idiots like Shona Holmes and lizzielou73 who make up lies all kinds of fiction about Canadian health care as well. These idiots couldn't find their way out of a paper bag.