The Difference Between Canada and the U.S. Health Care Systems

Sally C. Pipes understands Canadian health care. As the former Assistant Director of the free-market Fraser Institute, she lived under Canada's national health care system.

Today Pipes is president of the Pacific Research Institute and author of the new book, The Top Ten Myths of American Health Care. She spoke at the Cato Institute July 15, 2009.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• sally
• pipes
• cato
• institute
• health
• care
• healthcare
• obama
• single
• payer
• national
• canadian
• canada
• pacific

[Goremaster]

@MadHabber93 No kidding, she is doesn't have an honest bone in her body, she should have pay for an American doctor to take a look, for $5000 dollars.

[Goremaster]

Wrong again. Canadians can access private health care, jump any line and get a CT scan etc. You'll just have to pay for it like any uninsured American. This woman is a farse.

[Goremaster]

She neglects to say that the women with the quadrulplets didn't pay a cent for that treatment or transport and that the Foothills hospital in Calgary was over capacity with several unexpected pre-term births (not the usual situation) hence the term 'unexpected'. This is what you call not telling all the facts.

[Goremaster]

lol social run systems. So the 2 extra days she spent in the hospital would have saved her? The fact that her doctor said she should have a rectal exam should be a reflection on the doctor and their professional opinions rather than saying only American doctors practice preventative medicine and Canadian ones could care less. What an idiot.

[MadHabber93]

@jeesssssssssss That's the thing, the waiting lists for less wealthy would not become shorter as a private system would pull away valuable resources over, ie docs and nurses to serve the wealthy few, leaving less of them to serve the many.

[jeesssssssssss]

I do somewhat agree with what she's saying but you have to consider the majority of the population who probably cant afford healthcare services. If someone can't afford heart surgery then what? let them die because they can't buy health care? the US healthcare system is just as flawed. But I still think Canada should offer public and private health care so the rich can use the private healthcare system while the waiting list for the less wealthy will be shorter.

[bgibb101]

@donteatthefishsticks - If Canada's healthcare system can only be compared to the USA, then we must be in a very poor way indeed.

[donteatthefishsticks]

@bgibb101 Ranks in what categories? Averaged across all categories? Canada's ranks much higher than Americas in terms of patient outcomes for most patients, but it's true, America is the land where if you can afford it you can get the world's best health care. Some things you shouldn't be able to buy, however.

[willythewildwino]

@MadHabber93 im from edmonton

[MadHabber93]

@willythewildwino First off, I believe neither country likes criticism of their country. Secondly, we didn't bring ourselves into the American healthcare debate, Americans brought us in by providing misleading information or outright lies about our system. The Cato Institute and Sally Pipes is a perfect example of this. YOu guys want to keep screwing over your countrymen, go for it, but don't justify your system by lying about ours. Its that simple.