No, Trump, Canadians do not flee en masse for US health care

http://www.vox.com/2016/10/9/13222798/canadians-seeking-medical-care-us-trump-debate

Canada made a rare appearance in a US presidential debate Sunday when Donald Trump accused Hillary Clinton of wanting to turn America’s system into a "catastrophic" single-payer health system like Canada’s.

"You've noticed," he said, "the Canadians, when they need a big operation, they come into the United States in many cases, because their system is so slow."

This idea is often floated by critics of single-payer systems like Canada’s on both sides of the border.

But the best-available research shows it’s simply not true. Canadians are not fleeing en masse to the US seeking medical care.

The most comprehensive look at the issue was published in Health Affairs in 2002. Entitled "Phantoms in the Snow," researchers gathered data on Canadians’ use of the US health care system by surveying US border facilities and America’s top-rated hospitals about how often they see Canadians seeking health care. They found this happened rarely.

They also tracked Canadians' behaviors by examining data from the National Population Health Survey, where 18,000 Canadians were asked if they sought medical treatment in the US. "Only 90 of those 18,000 Canadians had received care in the United States; only 20 of them had done so electively."

Like the Khans said, the only thing Trump sacrifices is the truth

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4 replies	Author	Time	Post
No, Trump, Canadians do not flee en masse for US health care (Original post)	Jarqui	Oct 2016	OP
I had a conversation with a Canadian a couple years ago about that. He said	doc03	Oct 2016	#1
I currently reside in Canada	Jarqui	Oct 2016	#4
Another outrageous drumph lie	BSdetect	Oct 2016	#2
The opposite is true for AUstralians	BSdetect	Oct 2016	#3

Response to Jarqui (Original post)

Mon Oct 10, 2016, 10:52 AM

doc03 (33,016 posts)

1. I had a conversation with a Canadian a couple years ago about that. He said

that in Canada everyone has to wait their turn for elective surgery rich or poor. I know many people in this country that
have had knee replacements for instance that wait two or three months. He said the people with money in Canada
come here because they want to go to the front of the line where they can't in Canada. Someone with millions doesn't
care about coming down here and paying a few thousand dollars to get surgery today rather than waiting for their turn.

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Response to doc03 (Reply #1)

Mon Oct 10, 2016, 11:19 AM

Jarqui (9,219 posts)

4. I currently reside in Canada

I have immediate family in both countries and have for decades.

I cannot certify 100% what you say but I've seen and heard similar things many times.

If you really need medical attention, you usually get it promptly in Canada. Semi-elective or non life threatening surgery like your knee replacement example, you wait considerably longer than in the US. MRI's for a sports injury can take a while for example - unless you accept short notice cancellation appointments. Some in Ontario might go to Buffalo for a faster MRI result for example.

Some CDN residents in my family have gone to Johns Hopkins for second opinions on serious illnesses and never got any advice, prognosis or prescription materially different than what their CDN doctors told them - again over about a forty year period.

The difference between the two in the quality of healthcare provided does not strike me as great. The per capita cost difference is dramatic (crudely 50% more expensive in the US).

Imagine how many more jobs America could bring back if healthcare costs were roughly 50% of what they currently are - because folks could enjoy similar quality of life with earning that much less money that goes to healthcare.

I think it's a no brainer. Proven again and again in other countries, single payer is the right or best approach to help get these costs under control. It's a win-win-win for everyone except heathcare companies and healthcare workers - who won't be making the gobs of money they are now - they'll have to give up their US monopoly and compete like everyone else.

In the interim, thousands of Americans are still dying every year because they do not have healthcare. It's a disgrace - just because the pigs at the American healthcare trough want to continue to gouge the rest. And assholes like Donald Trump want to protect them and their big profits. It hurts Americans health, Americas jobs, the economy, etc. It's crazy to allow it to continue.

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Response to Jarqui (Original post)

Mon Oct 10, 2016, 10:57 AM

BSdetect (8,848 posts)

2. Another outrageous drumph lie

He is incapable of telling the truth

His sham apology was a total scam like his business tactics.

So glad this one has been exposed.

Where does he get his stupid ideas from? Hearing voices?

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Response to Jarqui (Original post)

Mon Oct 10, 2016, 11:00 AM

BSdetect (8,848 posts)

3. The opposite is true for AUstralians

When we came here in 2003 we quickly decided that we would go back to Australia if we had serious medical needs rather than stay here and be bankrupted like millions of Americans.

Now we can vote again (2012 for Obama) though so bad luck drumph you fuckin monster.

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