The Real News: Canadians talk to Americans about health care

[Joe the Liberal]

Run time: 11:28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88KmmR4d5Ig   Posted on YouTube: May 26, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: May 27, 2009 By DU Member: Joe the Liberal Views on DU: 2187

 
Basically a correspondent for The Real News goes to Canada and asks random Canadians about their health care system and how it compares to the US. This video is a response to some commercials that aired here in the US that claimed Canadians don't like their health care system.

[Pharaoh]

1. K&R

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

25. and another kick because this needs to be seen by more people

the MSM won't give us the truth.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. and I hope we can have history repeat here in the US

though the opposition here is actually better organized

[Historic NY]

3. you might even find that the commercial actors weren't even from Canada.

[PDJane]

5. Uh.......no.

I live in Toronto. There isn't one person I've spoken to who wants your system. We can purchase extra insurance here for things like a private room and medications if we can afford it or wish to. That's not unusual, but it's not the norm.

We like our healthcare, and I know no-one who wishes to give it up.

Why would we? We don't go bankrupt over medical bills. I too remember when we didn't have universal, single payer health care. I remember the fuss about the move to that system. All the doctors were supposed to go stateside, and some did. Many more didn't....and the majority of doctors found their income increased after single payer.

We don't, as a people, want your system, thank you.

[jeff30997]

9. He was referring to the American commercial PDJane.

And I agree with you: "We don't,as a people,want your system"

[Joe the Liberal]

7. Lol that honestly wouldn't surprise me...

considering the people who put that commercial together.

[Historic NY]

4. the Canadian Health Coalition (CHC) is taking on Dr. Brian Day....

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2009/08/c9932.html

[PDJane]

6. And so they should.

Brian Day is a fool.

[avaistheone1]

8. I want single-payer universal health insurance

Our time is NOW.

[jeff30997]

10. Recommended.

The woman with glasses was great.I learned a lot of things.

[Joe the Liberal]

12. Agreed......

She mentioned Tommy Douglas as well, the US could use someone like him.

[quidam56]

11. We need a cure for health care in America

Profit Care comes ahead of Patient Care. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62

[Postman]

13. Rick Scott should be in prison.

Rick Scott, former CEO and Chairman of Colombia/HCA was involved in the nation's biggest health care FRAUD scandal , MEDICARE AND MEDICAID Fraud. The Co. paid over $1.7 Billion to settle the case. He should be in jail, he is the healthcare Bernie Madoff.

...here's a reaction from a Canadian who seen this propagandistic commercial:

This guy is so full of BS!! As a Canadian and follower of U.S. television, I'm outraged by his phoney, outrageous, and obviously scripted commercials for his site. I'm 34 years old and have had universal healthcare since the day I was born. I've been to the hospital countless times for everything from having my tonsils out, pneumonia, my children delivered, stitched up, or medication. I have never had an overly long wait, unless my situation wasn't critical. These commercials are fraudulant and misleading. I have never paid a cent for any of the treatment and do not currently owe for our non-existent bills. My father in law is currently undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer on a daily basis, for free. My wife has been to 3 different doctors "this week" regarding our upcoming child, and had an ultrasound performed, all at a whopping $0 price tag. To run these fake commercials bashing our great healthcare system is ridiculous. It's a money making scam invented by the U.S. You idiots dream of the systems Canada has in place, you're welcome for our Dr.s stopping the SARS outbreak, and it will be Canadian Labs that come up with the Vaccine for H1N1 as well. Oh and let's not forget the Canadian Reactor providing the WORLD with Medical Isotopes. Until you adopt our system, don't knock it. America, land of the free? Why is everything in "FreeLand" so overly expensive?

[Joe the Liberal]

21. Exactly......

I knew that guy was full of shit the moment I saw that commercial air here in the US. Our health care system is a joke compared to Canada's and it's because of people like Rick Scott and the idiots who support him that it's like this.

I read an article yesterday that said this....

"The US lack of commitment to social services that benefit its own people is so stark compared with actual civilized countries. And it's all about money and profits. There's no other reason for such a dysfunctional system to even exist, much less become the model for a medical scam that never tires of thumping its collective chest and declaring its superiority to anything else in the world.

And why would that be? Because it's American, goddammit, and that's all that's required to claim the top spot in anything. Or so I'm told by delusional fools and TV-trained idiots who cling desperately to a mythical national self-image that hasn't existed in at least 35 years."

That pretty much took the words right out of my mouth.

the full thing here http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5724033

[ImOnlySleeping]

14. Another Canadian

I had elective heart surgery to cure http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolff-Parkinson-White_syndrome
The other option was a lifetime of medication (to prevent the palpitations and fainting), which would have cost the government zero and me a ton (I had the surgery at age 20).

Also, Tommy Douglas was pretty awesome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Douglas

[Fiendish Thingy]

15. k&r- great clip! n/t

[cooolandrew]

16. It's always awesome hearing from Vidal he brings truth with a very sharp wit.(nt)

[knixphan]

17. K&R

[BEZERKO]

18. This was fantastic,

thanks for posting! There's a lot of mythology going around about the canadian and english health care systems.

[slipslidingaway]

19. knr nt

[supernova]

20. Excellent

I'm so sick of those RW PR anti-UHC commericals.

We really need to call them on their bullshit. Who better than the Canadians they are slamming?

[Joe the Liberal]

22. They act as though nothing is wrong with our system.....

which kind of annoys me.

What annoys me more is the very same republican base in this country who is against any kind of health care reform and continue to vote against their own self interest. Although if we do get health care they will be at the front of the line to take advantage of that "socialized medicine" they always bitch about.

[BobTheSubgenius]

23. I know I always ramble about this topic, but it's CRITICAL! (and as a bonus, a useful talking point)

First, though, a very picayune point; Tommy Douglas was actually a member of the CCF, a forerunner to the NDP, but let's not quibble. He IS the greatest Canadian, hands down. "Beware the little man with a big idea," he said.

I know it isn't a perfect system, but I can give you reams of anecdotes about how well it's worked in just about every significant case I know of. Here are 3 of which I have personal and intimate knowledge.

- My best friend was just "cured" of cervical cancer (ie, total remission, at least: no blood markers, no visual evidence, clean MRI) in a cancer clinic that other medical systems come to study and try to emulate. Apart from the fantastic care she got, she got fantastic CARING, and she couldn't say enough about the whole atmosphere and humanity.

- Another friend was at an opth. appt. and the opth. sent her to a GP, then to a specialist. Within a WEEK of her opth. appt. a brain tumour was removed. She is totally fine today, 3 years later.


- Apart from a chronic condition I have to see doctors about from time to time, I have my share of injuries and so on. 2 summers ago, I had a wall fall on me and cut my head for 12 stitches. From the time I walked in the front door to the time I walked out, stitched and cleaned up - under 15 minutes.

Total out-of-pocket cost to myself and my two friends for the above? ZERO. We pay it with our taxes and a nominal monthly insurance premium, which is waived if you make less than $27,000.

I know I always ramble about this topic, but it's CRITICAL. Don't settle for less than universal, single-payer health care!!!! In the words of Al Franken "No one is rushing to copy our (US) system."

Finally, what I think is a great talking point. In the early days of NAFTA, US companies and govt. negotiators were complaining that Canadian companies had an unfair competitive advantage - the Canadian health care system. Perhaps they still complain, I don't know.

GM puts the health care cost of each US-mfr'ed car at $800-1200. It seems to be unequivocal acknowledgment that universal health care ADDS efficiency to a country's economy. It certainly doesn't hurt its health, either.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

24. gets really good at 3:56 minute

when that lady starts talking about her personal experience, her surgery,
her autoimmune disease. Later at end of film she talks about how when she was a child,
Canada did not have medicare and her family was sued for medical bills.

[Joanne98]

26. kick