Tried reading the Boston Globe two days in a row?
One day its editorial page says Obama's health care plan is superior to McCain's; after all, it's sort of like the Massachusetts plan, and look at the state's high rate of insurance coverage now! Next day: Mass. residents waiting 100 days for primary care.
Unfortunately, coverage mandates don't solve the underlying problems in the health sector, whether we're talking about doctor shortages or costs.
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For a state with atrocious
September 22, 2008 - 17:24 ET by ThisnThatFor a state with atrocious anti-gun laws, it sure is quick to put a gun to every citizen's head regarding such things as Enforced health care, Confiscatory taxes, and Queer marriage. One of the most God-awful states in the union. I know -- I used to live there. One of the biggest mistakes of my life.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
All these 'for free' programs result in the same thing
September 22, 2008 - 17:24 ET by 10ksnookerInfinite demand ...
All covered
September 22, 2008 - 17:28 ET by Mica the MagnificentLib#1: Look! Everybody in this waiting room died waiting to see the doctor.
Lib #2: Yeah, but they all had free health care.
Lib #3: I'm voting democrat again, I demand free funerals.
Notice to all libs: On February 17, 2009 all tin foil hats are going HD. Please contact the mothership for details.
Thy'll really love it when
September 22, 2008 - 17:58 ET by Chris NormanThey'll really love it when we're all stuck rotting forever in the rundown waiting room of the free clinic, looking at posters of Our Dear Leader, Obama. It'll be just like their favorite socialist paradise, Cuba.
McNotObama '08
100 Days???
September 22, 2008 - 17:29 ET by Sergeant ROCKI'm sure that Federal Government could beat that by a few hundred days!
PALIN/McCain 2008
"Bridge to Nowhere? How
September 22, 2008 - 17:41 ET by zf"Bridge to Nowhere? How about "Waiting Room to Nowhere?"
It doesn't matter
September 22, 2008 - 18:00 ET by ghost of Mary Jo Kopechneif one has to wait for 1000s of days... Everybody is covered.
/delerious leftism off
Support Our Troops. God bless the military.
http://adoptaplatoon.org/new/index.htm
Only a liberal would think
September 22, 2008 - 18:04 ET by Clear thinkerOnly a liberal would think that waiting for 100 days to see a Doc is a good thing!
Has the whole nation become stupid?
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Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
This is an absurdity. I
September 22, 2008 - 18:22 ET by mandrakeThis is an absurdity. I know I'm not going to win any fans around here 'cause the Canadian health care system is nanny state socialism..blah blah blah..I've heard it all before.
But!! the fact is, I'm a really old guy and I raised three children here in good old socialist Canada. I've been to the doctor MANY times and have never had to wait more than a day or two for 'primary' care. And in the case of 'emergency' it depends..but never more than a few hours...
When will this myth die!!!
Is there something wrong with your system?
No, you're an absurdity.
September 22, 2008 - 18:49 ET by zfNo, you're an absurdity. You are either very lucky or a liar. Even the Canadian Supreme Court said that many Canadians waiting for treatment suffer chronic pain and, "Patients die while on the waiting list."
Waiting a day or two is absurd. In the US, the most I've ever had to wait is an hour to see my doctor. In a day or two is a long time to sit if for instance you have pain you can't get rid of. And what if you have say, an appendix about to burst? In two days, you'll be dead.
But your real kicker is stating that emergencies are taken care of "only" after a "few hours." (You also nicely put that word in parenthesis as if emergencies are phony and never really happen.) An emergency is something defined as an issue that needs to be taken care of immediately. Would you trumpet the Canadian Fire Department if it took than a "few hours" to respond to a huge fire? In the U.S.A. emergencies are rushed straight in for treatment in the vast majority of cases.
The problem isn't with any particular socialist "system" the problem is with socialism in the first place. With have far too much socialism in our "system" already that causes problems, but critics ignore that aspect when scrutinizing our "system." They just argue for more.
P.S. Go find the movie "Dead Meat." It'll open your eyes to what is going on in Canada beyond your own personal experiences.
Three-ish years ago, I was
September 22, 2008 - 18:55 ET by dmntd1Three-ish years ago, I was doing a lot of work in far-upstate NY. The radio station that played the best music was Canadian, and there was a short-period talk-show-type hosted discussion one day, regarding Canadian health care.
Seems that the First Nation peoples (think Native Americans, or Indians) have similar rights on their reservations as Native Americans do, and can do many things there that might be otherwise quasi-legal (think Casinos).
First Nation people weren't interested in Casinos. Seems they were lobbying the government of Canada to put.... get this.... SELF-PAY clinics and hospitals!!!!! Yeah, Canada has some great healthcare.... so great they are relegated to reservations...
My favorite caller was the one that couldn't imagine how anyone could pay for a hospital bed because "it should be free!".
"Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy." - Winston Churchill
I don't feel lucky, I was
September 22, 2008 - 19:11 ET by mandrakeI don't feel lucky, I was in a near death car accident about a year ago. Didn't have to wait a day or two for treatment. Then there was the time I took my daughter into emergeny cause her throat was bleeding because of a tonsill removal. She was put in a bed and admitted within minutes..maybe cause I was screaming so loud!...I have plenty of other stories if you'd like to hear them :)
Maybe there is a bias in the media that only reports the bad news?
BTW. please don't imply that I am a liar again..thanks
Mandrake, I am unsure if
September 22, 2008 - 22:34 ET by LiberalliesMandrake,
I am unsure if you are a liar or not. However, I have countless of stories from myself to friends where if the Canadian hospital felt that your case was not a life or death emergency, you were left waiting hours, upon hours, upon hours.
Furthermore, in Canada, England, Germany, France, Denmark, etc, etc, etc where this ridiculous universal healthcare has become part of the country, exames like MRIs, X-Rays, etc could take years to come by.
It is usually the poor and the low-middle class and the middle-middle-class which end up suffering in a universal healthcare system, why? Because the rich and high-middle class are able to afford private doctors, private hospitals and/or travel to countries like the USA where they do not have to wait years upon years to get an MRI or other tests.
this is a fact of life Mandrake. I lived it, I have friends who also lived it.
Yes, life or death situation, hospitals will take you in, if it is not, may God help you.
I can give you example of how terrible universal healthcare in the USA would be, look at Cook County hospital in Chicago. While it has some of the best medical doctors and current medical technology waiting to be treated life threatening emergency or not will be ours. I know, my wife, many years ago, fell and broke her arm, she didn't have health insurance and it took over 24 hours for a doctor to see her, than another 5 hours for the X-Rays to be taken, then anotehr 5 hours for a cast to be put on.
Want more examples of how healthcare would be run in the USA if it became "universal" healthcare....look at the DMV, look how poorly it is run. Look at how the government can't even get passports right.
Why are Liberals so willing to put their lives in the hand of a government, why?
Why are you Liberals so scared to stand up for yourself and do what is right on your own? are you guys so incompetent, such great fools, so poorly educated that you need the government for everything and anything? I hope not.
More government is NOT the answer.
I know it is not what Liberals and the Liberal media are saying out there, but the financial institutions in the USA that have failed are the ones that were overregulated, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc. had the government hand all over them.
Government being involved in our lives is a disaster! not a good thing.
Reality Check
September 22, 2008 - 18:53 ET by dboI've been to the doctor MANY times and have never had to wait more than
a day or two for 'primary' care. And in the case of 'emergency' it
depends..but never more than a few hours...
Mandrake, what complete and total garbage. What Canada are you living in....1958? In my whole entire adult lifetime, there has not been one federal election that has not been fought without health care being the number one concern with Canadians.To start with, over 4 million Canadians don't even have a family doctor because the smart one's have packed up and gone to the U.S. In 2002 I had to wait 8 months!!!!! for an MRI. Also in 2002, my mother-in-law died of lung cancer. It was 6 unbelievably long and stressfull months from when she found a lump in her lymph nodes to when treatment began because of lengthy waits everytime she had to see a different specialist. In August of 2007 I waited 11 hours!!! at the emergency room at Vancouver General Hospital. It is not uncommon to wait 2 years or more for hip or knee replacement surgery. Think I'm kidding or exaggerating?
http://www.fraserins...
These waits are NOT
September 22, 2008 - 21:17 ET by HermanoThese waits are NOT unusual. I have a friend in Germany who has had to wait months for surgery. My sister has reported similar issues in Denmark and Sweden.
The Newsbusters Comments Crew: Saving the Environment - One Ribeye at a Time! h/t Dr_Liberty
Every time I am waiting in
September 22, 2008 - 19:03 ET by illinois conservativeEvery time I am waiting in line at the local post office, the slow and apathetic customer service, I just imagine the same employees in a critical care facility. It keeps things in perspective of how a government run health care system would look.