Posted by Captin Cannuck on August 04, 2009 at 07:44:45:In Reply to: Re: MMA and gov't run health care posted by westernjoe on August 03, 2009 at 19:33:10:
This is a really interesting question. I will give you my frank opinion. But to begin with, we have to say one thing very clearly, which is that no system is perfect.
1. My Experience with a MMA in a Universal System:
As you may know, I am Canadian. I had MMA in Canada for "free", which as you know is not really for free because we pay higher taxes than you do in USA. I will tell you about my experience with a socialized medicine MMA. Basically, it boils down to this: On the positive side, I got it. I didn't have to fight with a pencil neck in an insurance company whose job it would be to wiggle out of paying for it. I didn't have to go through the anxiety of fighting with a big wealthy company to whom I would have paid premiums. From reading on this site, I know that this a terrible part of what people have to go through. Some feel that they are kind of stabbed in the back by these companies who are more than happy to take the premiums, but the going gets tough, they are like Good Time Charlie when you need them to step up to bat for you.The negative side to my experience was that I waited a long time to see the surgeon and also for the surgery. If I had chosen an Oral and Maxillofaical surgeon who did MMAs but didn't do a great number of them each year specifically for OSA patients, I could have gone earlier. In truth, the same situation exists in USA with only a handful of surgeons e.g. Powell, Riley, Li etc. at Stanford or Princell in Atlanta who do many MMAs specifically for OSA. I took the equivalent person in Canada and waited.
2. Medical Innovations under Free Market or Universal Systems:
I like what Joe said about the Earth needing at least "ONE country that is industrialized country that is different and can be the source of innovation." This is a really good point. In USA, because of market driven Capitalism the newest "cutting edge" procedures are available for those willing to pay for them. Thus, MMA is developed and offered for the first time at Stanford Univ. Of course, the next question is whether a country offering socialized medicine would also produce innovations. The answer seems to be affirmative. For those interested, Canada has historically produced a disproportionately large number of medical breakthroughs. Many were fostered under socialized medicine. (For more information on that, please see: http://www.canadianmedicinenews.com/2007/11/canadas-greatest-medical-research.html3. Benefit for Social Stability:
Canada's socialized medicine system plays a very significant role in making Canada a stable society. If worse comes to worse, and you are a McDonald's worker (working poor) and your little kid contracts a serious disease, you don't have to worry about being covered. Without such a system, I think that people who are "poor", and who are dealt an unforeseen medical emergency might have very few options as to how to deal financially with such a situation. As a result, people might resort to desparate measures. I think even crime could result. In this country, I feel safe and calm. Toronto and Montreal with populations of 4 million have a homocide rate of only 3 people per 100,000. I know that there are other factors than health care which account for the difference, but I want to point out that health care is one of the biggest factors which adds stability to the Canadian society.
- Re: MMA and gov't run health care Gremlin 23:55 8/09/09 (0)