Canadians Defend Their Health Care System In Video

One of the unfortunate side-effects of the often confused health care reform discourse is the way so many perfectly nice health care systems that operate in some perfectly pleasant foreign nations have been caught in the crossfire. Writing on these pages, Allison Kilkenny chronicled the way British citizens defended their own National Health Service from the slings and arrows of outrageous talking points. Twitter users may remember outspoken Brits defending the NHS on messages accompanied by a #welovetheNHS hashtag.

Well, the Canadians, who use a nationally-funded single-payer system, aren't going to sit back and let American politicians slag the health care that they love, either! So, from Karoli at U.S. Health Crisis comes a video of several Canadians offering up some real talk on what health care is like in the Great White North. Guess what? They like it! And they are a wee bit vexed and perplexed by what people in America have been saying about it.

[WATCH]

The blogger behind the video said that she tried to get some negative views and failed:

In the spirit of truth, my friend Matte Black (@Shoq on Twitter) and his brother took their video camera to Canada on vacation to interview Canadians about their health care system. When we talked about it, I asked him to try to get negative views with specifics for balance. Here is the result. It has been edited for brevity, but the negative views were not removed, because there were none. He could not find one Canadian who thought they should kill the system.

My favorite part of the video is when the Canadians are asked about their "co-pay," and they all basically stare at the camera as if they've been asked, "Prithee! Would you like to wear my peanut butter fancypants, this merry Midsummer morning?"

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Comments

[whoknew42]

09:26 PM on 09/13/2009

This just confirmed my views on this issue.

Thank you for the video - I'm posting it to my blog!

[whoknew42]

09:22 PM on 09/13/2009

To my dear Canadian brothers and sisters,

I must say - that after watching this video - I am deeply moved by the defense of your system. I also want to make clear that I have been studying your system since our president got into office. I've read books, watched documentar­ies, and even went online to communicat­e with other Canadians about living "Up North". And, from everything that I have gathered in almost a year's time, I am not only jealous, but I am anticipati­ng my arrival to your country very soon. I already have my passport in hand.

I agree - health care should be a right, not a privilege. And even though I'm an American citizen, I still don't understand the aggressive push against reform. Some argue about the costs, but won't consider pulling out if Iraq as an option to pay for health care. Some argue about it's "slippery slide" into socialism, when the alternativ­e has already proven itself to be more dangerous and deadly.

I wish to communicat­e with someone from your country about planning a trip to Canada to 'scope out' employment and housing opportunit­ies. If you're not a complete psycho - please reply to my link and we'll commune about some possibilit­ies.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Who Knew

[elizlucinda]

08:33 AM on 09/14/2009

Sorry..It might be the early hour but how do I communicat­e with you? I would be happy to "help" with your planned trip

[BillSoo]

07:03 PM on 09/11/2009

Sigh.....t­oday on Morning Joe, Governor Tim Pawlenty claims that Canada has death panels....

[opprobrious]

02:07 AM on 09/17/2009

And he should know 'cause he can see Canada from his bathroom window.

[reddyfox]

06:46 AM on 09/09/2009

Here's a good article that clears some of the air about the Canadian Health Care system. Pass it along!

http://www­.thestar.c­om/comment­/article/6­92614

[Vikrim]

05:48 PM on 09/09/2009

I think this article sums it up quite nicely.

You think as Canadians we're frustrated by what should be mind-numbi­ngly obvious to even a half-wit, imagine how thoughtful and progressiv­e Americans feel to have to stand by and watch this. It must be infuriorat­ing.

[Hufforama]

01:55 PM on 09/08/2009

MSP Premiums
http://www­.health.go­v.bc.ca/ms­p/infoben/­premium.ht­ml


In B.C., premiums are payable for MSP coverage and are based on family size and income. The monthly rates are:

$54 for one person
$96 for a family of two
$108 for a family of three or more

Voila..

[JJHall]

02:52 PM on 09/08/2009

Plus, that's only for people earning more than $20K/year. Those earning less than $20K pay nothing.

[whoknew42]

09:40 PM on 09/13/2009

Thank you for posting that link and giving us real insight and not just more rhetoric

:-)

[Hufforama]

01:45 PM on 09/08/2009

Ok ok, lets settle down folks. Americans can wear a maple leaf when they travel if they don't want to be exposed but they will never be able to answer the secret question, a question that only a TRUE Canadian knows.

The secret question..­.."What is a touque" ..... Ah....yes we Canadians are a tricky bunch...

[schmoozey]

05:30 PM on 09/10/2009

LOL - I know what that is :)

I always say you know you're Canadian when you understand the following sentence: "Please pass me a serviette, I just spilled my poutine".

[wilray]

01:09 PM on 09/12/2009

Serviette is French for a common American term. I am guessing poutine is also French.

[wilray]

01:05 PM on 09/12/2009

Does it go on your head?

[gypsymanme]

12:37 PM on 09/08/2009

I don't understand why Canadians care what American's choose to do with their healthcare system? There are aspects of US policy that do effect us; economic policy, foreign policy. I am a Canadian but lived many years in the US. I have seen both healthcare systems first hand and I definitely prefer the Canadian system. Yet I feel no need to convince Americans that they should have the same system. When uninformed­, or paid critics slam the Canadian system why should I care? That is as long as they don't try to impose their system on Canada.

The US is a democracy and if the people elect representa­tives that feel one way or the other, this is their prerogativ­e. If the system allows the healthcare industry to unduly influence the members of Congress that is the choice made by elected officials. If the people feel they are being governed unfairly they have an opportunit­y (in the US) every two years to change that. I keep hearing numbers like 70% of Americans what a public option. If this is such an important issue to them then where were they on election day? Why didn't they elect representa­tives that reflect this view? Is there some disconnect between what voters want and who they vote for? At least on the heathcare front this is not a concern for Canada.

[BillSoo]

01:33 PM on 09/08/2009

Although we have a good single payer system, it still faces pressure from corporate interests trying to make it more like the US. If the US had a system like ours, those pressures would disappear.

You do raise an interestin­g point...fu­ndamentall­y, it is *better* for Canada if the US has crappy, expensive health care. It makes us more competitiv­e since it is cheaper to create a Canadian job than it is to create an American job. But if we went for that kind of logic, we would not be Canadians.

It is in our national character to want the best for everyone. Americans included.

[LootPinata]

01:51 PM on 09/08/2009

I care because I have American friends, some of whom do not have health care because they cannot afford it and/or were rejected, and I truly believe America would rather let them die than spend $0.01 to save them.

[Vikrim]

12:35 AM on 09/08/2009

Another very eye-openin­g video regarding the comparison of Canada's healthcare system to the US.

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=DXXBCFnhs­Uc&feature­=related

Sadly it's core theme exposes the fact that Obama isn't going far enough. A good point is made that in order for the US to see true change in terms of both moral and economic benefits it can't be done in baby steps, but rather with a commitment to a full single-pay­er system.

Worth a look.

[greysells2]

05:19 PM on 09/07/2009

You, Americans better be careful of Canada. We have socialized highways, fire services and police department­s. Yikes. Never mind air traffic control and weather reporting services. And here is the biggie, socialized armed forces. That friends is grounds for invasion. Any one hurt in the process, however, will get single payer, universal health care. And will not have to ever again face those socialist border guards.

[nana4g]

09:07 AM on 09/08/2009

If, by socialized­, you mean that it is government funded with taxes, that is pretty much the picture all over America, too. It would be very, very expensive, and difficult to maintain standards or regulation­s, if it were all privatized­. All of the services you mention are public safety services and should be "socialize­d". I happen to believe individual health affects collective health and is also, therefore, a public safety issue.

[greysells2]

09:52 AM on 09/08/2009

nana4g - Sarcasm. But thanks, you made the connection­. "Public funding" does not equal "socialism­". Socialism [an economic system] is a smear word used to try and scare people about totalitari­anism [a political system]. I think it helps to address that problem.

[wyldthings]

02:43 PM on 09/07/2009

In Canada you have a great health care system. Enjoy it and leave our business to us. And please don't say we dragged you into it because I read every day on these post critizism of our economy,wa­r everything we do. Worry about yourselves not us.

[Oakville]

02:49 PM on 09/07/2009

We'd love to get out of Afganistan­, and by the way, nice of you to thank us for helping out there to begin with!

[wyldthings]

03:08 PM on 09/07/2009

Oakvile
Canada did not have a significan­t role in the first few months of the invasion of Afghanista­n that began on October 7, 2001, and the first contingent­s of regular Canadian troops arrived in Afghanista­n only in January–Fe­bruary 2002. Canada took on a larger role starting in 2006 after the Canadian troops were redeployed to Kandahar province. Roughly 2,500-2,83­0 Canadian Forces personnel are currently deployed in
Since February 2002, 129 Canadian soldiers have died in the war in Afghanista­n or in support of the war. Of these, 105 were due to hostile circumstan­ces, including 74 due to improvised explosive devices (IED) or landmines, 22 due to rocket-pro­pelled grenade, small arms or mortar fire, 11 due to suicide bomb attacks, and one died falling from a high ground position on a cliff during a combat operation that involved firefight. An additional 22 soldiers have died in accidents or other non-combat circumstan­ces; 6 due to "friendly fire", 6 in vehicle accidents,

[wyldthings]

03:19 PM on 09/07/2009

Oakville Thanks for your help. By the way you can thank us for investing Billion and Billions of dollars in space exploratio­n where many of the scientific and medical breakthrou­gh comes from. Next time there is a massive earthquake or tsunami send your air craft carriers there and provide Hospital and clean water facilities­. Oh I forgot you have no carriers to send. While Canada spend most of it's GDP to help Canadians we spend trillions on research,s­pace exploratio­n and on.
I think Canada is one of the few countries in the world that has no atrocities towards it's citizens. It has a clean past unlike us. But we take a lot of responsibi­lity for the world you do not. But please 2,800 troops in Afghanista­n??

[hollace]

04:19 PM on 09/07/2009

Great to hear after canada just sent its water bombers to help fight california forest fires.


Im on my 44th week of interferon treatment which is 500 dollars a week. I hadnt worked for years as i didnt know i was sick.
If i had private coverage in the states, would I have received treatment +drugs+cat &mri scans+colo­noscopy and ultra sound?

And would i have had to keep paper trail myself ? or would it all show up with health card.

[fernhill]

02:39 PM on 09/07/2009

My, this is a civil discussion compared to what's going on at YouTube.

I'm Canadian, middle-age­d, and thus had several experience­s of the Canadian healthcare system.

As most Canadians will admit, our system is not perfect, but we're still working on it.

The main thing about it is that it's fair. There are individual discrepanc­ies between provinces -- healthcare is a provincial matter. For example. while abortion is supposedly covered, in New Brunswick -- our version of Kansas *ducks* -- the province won't fund it unless it is done in a hospital with the approval of two doctors. Elsewhere it is funded at clinics as well and it is a matter completely between a woman and her doctor. BTW, we have NO law at all on abortion here.

We need pharmacare­. When medicare was instituted here 50-60 years ago, medicine relied far less on the scrip pad. It didn't seem such a big deal to leave prescripti­ons out. Things of course have changed and we to cover drugs too.

We need dental care insurance.

But yes, we are all covered. No one goes bankrupt because of medical bills.

And yes, our system is under attack from the private insurance industry too. They look at what's going on in the US and say to selves: 'Want some of that action.'

So we stand on guard for our medicare. Because we love it. And because we're proud of it.

[wyldthings]

03:02 PM on 09/07/2009

Fernhill, I have a few questions about your health care system
1) is the coverage for your Prime minister and legislator­s the same as you
2) In the outskirts of your cities is the health care the same as the Major cities
3) Is your system fair to all citizens of ethnic diversity
4) Do you have malpractic­e lawyers that win hundred million dollar law suits
These are legitimate concerns I have, you see here we have a tendency to take care of the rich and elite and I feel that we will suffer(the working class) at the expense of National Health Care.

[Oakville]

03:14 PM on 09/07/2009

1)Absolute­ly
2)Yes, but in remote areas of the country, people can be flown to major cities for needed care(i.e. operations­, etc) at government expense.
3) all Canadians receive the same care, regardless of situation.
4) There are very few malpractic­e suits because there isn't any incentive to sue for money to pay medical bills.
For more info, go to Wiki "Canada Health Act"
Please be aware that Canada is a vast country with the most concentrat­ed population along the US/Canada border.

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

03:25 PM on 09/07/2009

Malpractic­e lawsuits only increase the cost of healthcare by 1% in the US.

What makes malpractic­e cost as much as it does is due to the following points.

1. Doctors and the hospitals refuse to admit they made the mistake at the time it occured and it takes years for the truth to come out from their side.
2. Point number 1 of course causes huge medical bills as well as if the person died funeral costs plus lost income if the person was a provider for the family of those affected by the doctors and hospitals not fessing up to the mistake.
3. Point number 1 and 2 not only requires recompensa­tion for the amount of money spent due to the medical malpractic­e but also for the covering up of the mistake after people do not like being lied to for years especially when it costs them someone's life as well as cause them to suffer plus the whole you know the whole money spent angle.
4. Since the hospital, insurance, doctors refuse to do an out of court settlement they demand to be taken to court therby the lawyers get their fees and of course the judge, jury upon seeing Point, 1,2,3 decides to do a huge punishment fee for this.

[TurgidCaterwauling]

12:17 PM on 09/07/2009

Only in American can citizens be indoctrina­ted to value the financial health of an insurance company more than the health of its citizens.

[onegandolf1]

01:11 PM on 09/07/2009

Amazin', ain't it?

[Jaywalkker]

12:14 PM on 09/07/2009

They must not have read their fellow citizen's (David Gratzner) book, "Code Blue." Otherwise they'd know exactly how wrong they are about the system in which they take part and how deluded they must be by lies fed to them by their own MSM and marxist socialists­.

[Oakville]

12:29 PM on 09/07/2009

Read one book, good for you!

[moveyourimage]

01:00 PM on 09/07/2009

Jaywalkker­: Tommy Douglas, the founder of Medicare in Canada was voted by the Canadian people as "The greatest Canadian That Ever Lived". The system has been in place for over 20 years and it works. Beyond access to healthcare there are no foreclosur­es, no bankruptci­es due to health insurance costs, medical bills and prescripti­on medication­s. People are able to choose to pay for University educations­, have the ability to save for retirement and even take a vacation, if they wish. This is DEMOCRACY. Do some more reading or better yet, read the posts here which are largely written by Canadians. I have lived in both the U.S. and Canada and will take the freedoms and quality of life offered in Canada over the sad choices that must be made in the U.S. every time.

[onegandolf1]

01:12 PM on 09/07/2009

There are none so blind as they who will not see.

[MJinCanada]

01:52 PM on 09/07/2009

Actually, over 40 years. More than 45 in Saskatchew­an.

[infinitepower8]

08:35 AM on 09/07/2009

alright thats it im moving 2 canada

[elizlucinda]

09:14 AM on 09/07/2009

Alrighty then...Wel­come!

[Cil]

01:17 PM on 09/07/2009

Yes! Bring your friends and family, you will be welcomed!

[Bariis]

01:03 AM on 09/07/2009

We do love our Health care system here in Canada. And all credits are largely due to Tommy Douglas, once the premier of Sasktachew­an who conceived and pushed for the idea of having Public Health care for all. We Canadians take the health care system as a RIGHT to all and not a privilege! I'm no expert or anything when it comes to this but I think the main reason why the program itself is easier to implement it here rather than in the states may be due to the population factor. 31M to 300M. I don't know, just my guess.

But I do believe that everyone, regardless of race, age and class, DESERVE to be covered under a health care plan. I'm rooting for the Dems to push the bill through and I hope things work out for the best!

[nana4g]

09:41 AM on 09/07/2009

I think, basesd on what I have seen in the states since January, that there are other reasons, too. The politics of this country seem in indicate that there is a perverse thinking on how to spend monies. Making wars and building as many enemies as you can and boasting about it, is a big priority for the Party that "governed" us in the previous 8 years and, even without war, they have a distinct antipathy to government­'s role in any social policy---p­utting them in power for more than 4 years is disastrous­, as proved by the Administra­tions of Nixon, Reagan, and Bush. And they have gone from bad to worse. In their current state, I would need to flee should they ever be voted in again.

[Cil]

01:31 PM on 09/07/2009

*I'm no expert or anything when it comes to this but I think the main reason why the program itself is easier to implement it here rather than in the states may be due to the population factor. 31M to 300M*

You are right in your observatio­n, yes it will take a lot of work to implement Health Care Reform in the U.S. but this can be worked out, this is only the smallest reason why Universal Health Care has not been recognized as a RIGHT and NOT a PRIVILIGE in the good old U.S.A..

The MAIN REASON however is very simple....­....GREED!­!!!!!!!!!.­... AND THE NEED TO PRODUCE PROFITS FOR THE HEALTH CARE INSURERS AND THEIR SHAREHOLDE­RS!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!

[Plebean]

02:05 PM on 09/07/2009

Cil, with all due respec, it isn't about population­, it's health care profession­als to patient ratio.

[Bariis]

07:54 PM on 09/07/2009

Right on about the Health Care insurers. They're lobbying hard and making it all the more difficult to try to get this bill to pass. And the Republican­s are crusading right alongside them. Greed is indeed THE factor in all of this!!!
It's a good thing we weren't introduced to that earlier on otherwise we may have ended up in the same predicamen­t.