Canada falls short in several areas of health care...OECD countries, report says

[WiltonRanch]

Our healthcare system is a contentious issue always because the present system worked in 1955 when life expectancy was a lot shorter and level of medical care was rudimentary compared with today. MRI’s and open heart surgeries are a cost the system didn’t consider when Douglas implemented universal Medicare. The status quo is not sustainable especially for the next 10 to 15 years as the silent generation and bulk of early boomers die off. I have no problem with private user pay if it takes strain off the public system. It is a matter of necessity and the boomer generation as a whole has the means to afford such. Like Chuck says about excess profits and people with more money him well they can go to a private clinic freeing up space in the public system.

[Hamloc]

Got my first hip replaced at 48 other at 56. Recently had knee replaced this year in july. All private bugger all out of pocket expenses Top level cover

I am confused, according to my sister they have always payed an additional amount which gave them access to shorter wait times and quicker service without paying out of pocket. They have always lived in Canberra. An extra level of health insurance as I understand it.

Your saying your 2 hip replacements and your knee replacement you got done privately?

[Hamloc]

The provinces are underfunding surgical capacity. There is a shortage of staff and operating space time, along with a surge in the number of elderly people needing more healthcare. We have known about the baby boomers demographic for a long time.

And for profit private surgery will just drain away resources from the public system resulting in more 2 tier healthcare and longer lines for those who can't afford to pay.

The reality is private knee and hip clinics already exist and are already staffed. The friend I spoke of above lives in Alberta but dealt with a company based in Toronto. The amount of time from when he first contacted the private facility to when he had the operation was 30 days. He was 73 years old. Through AHS it appeared it would be 2 years, possibly more. I still think it is ridiculous he can’t legally get it done within his own province.

[chuckChuck]

So in a a system constrained by a shortage of doctors, nurses and surgeons, the only reason he was able to get into a private for profit facility quicker was the line up is much shorter because most people have to use the public system which is underfunded and short of staff.

So in effect you supported my argument that for profit private health care is only for the well off who can afford it and it makes line ups for the public system longer not shorter.

[Hamloc]

So in a a system constrained by a shortage of doctors, nurses and surgeons, the only reason he was able to get into a private for profit facility quicker was the line up is much shorter because most people have to use the public system which is underfunded and short of staff.

So in effect you supported my argument that for profit private health care is only for the well off who can afford it and it makes line ups for the public system longer not shorter.

First off the person I am talking about is a former school teacher, does that make him well off?

The problem with our present health care system is the government creates a budget to which it assigns so many dollars. Then services are rationed to recipients based on available services determined by available dollars. Realistically it is a communist system. There is in theory no competition allowed. But as an example if you need a MRI, you wait months in the public system or you pay $700 and get it within the week. So there are situations that can be accelerated by paying out of pocket. I certainly agree there are staff shortages but as I said the private knee and hip clinics already exist and are staffed, why not let residents access them within your own province?

[Landdownunder]

I am confused, according to my sister they have always payed an additional amount which gave them access to shorter wait times and quicker service without paying out of pocket. They have always lived in Canberra. An extra level of health insurance as I understand it.

Your saying your 2 hip replacements and your knee replacement you got done privately?

plus 3 rounds of shoulder surgery carpel tunnels as well and cochlear implant. Depends on level of cover. Got new triple level glasses yesterday $925 private only covered $200 so had to pay $725. Knee done this year from time surgeon said its stuffed to surgery was 4 weeks. Two years ago got diagnosed need new knee was my call as to when its was NFG and time for replacement. My private cover is $635 per month. More that take up private the more it takes pressure off public system

[agstar77]

New handle, bionic man. Just add AI.

[sumdumguy]

In my younger days I took a health economics class. The buzz-word was, “rationing”. In a publicly paid system the administration can not allow free reign on services because the demand would continue to increase as services are available. Can we afford an open door?

[chuckChuck]

The solution is to train more healthcare workers and fund more public health care and services to match demand.

Where does the profit come from in private healthcare and insurance based system?

As we know from experience that for profit long term care homes in Ontario and Quebec put 4 seniors to a room and provided lower levels of care with less staff in order to make it profitable. There should be no profit in taking care of seniors in nursing homes if you are doing a good job and putting seniors first.

[Hamloc]

The solution is to train more healthcare workers and fund more public health care and services to match demand.

Where does the profit come from in private healthcare and insurance based system?

As we know from experience that for profit long term care homes in Ontario and Quebec put 4 seniors to a room and provided lower levels of care with less staff in order to make it profitable. There should be no profit in taking care of seniors in nursing homes if you are doing a good job and putting seniors first.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information there are 440 long term care facilities in Quebec of which 88% are government owned.

Now to answer your question where profit comes from let’s look at a simple example of how government ownership inflates costs. The TransMountain pipeline. According to a recent CBC article, when the government first took over this project the estimated cost was $5.4 billion, so far the government has spent an estimated $30.9 billion and it still is not completed!! Need I say more?