Homestead mailing list

[DSanner106 AT aol.com]

In a message dated 8/8/2009 10:25:27 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
Clansgian AT wmconnect.com writes:

agree  that most of the hype is overblown on the differences between  
>  Canadian and American health care, but where the article is pointing out 
 
> the  
> 

The title of the article is, after all,  "Debunking the Myths of the 
Canadian Health Care System."  Would one  not expect it to be addressing 
only one 
side of the  question?


It  doesn't matter that the author is a flaming left-winger, nor that she  
might not display the best decorum in her communicaitons,  the  important 
point 
is whether the explosion of the myths are true or  not.

The source always matters, this is a really important issue and when  
someone says they are debunking
myths and only gives part of the facts, that doesn't help one bit. We need  
transparency here and that includes understanding who is writing what we 
are  reading and knowing their agenda. 


To  that end, I would not characterize what is being said about the 
Canadian  
system by the opponents of Obamacare to be "overblown", but rather out and  
out lies and fabrication.

If you base that on this one opinion piece, it would seem so. But I have  
waited in line with Canadians at health clinics in Michigan that would 
disagree  with much of this. 


When  the vocal and vehement opponents of the proposals say (as they do 
loudly  and repeatedly) that Canadians cannot choose their doctor, people 
have to  
pay out of pocket for essential healthcare and come to the US to get it,  
doctors work for the Canadian government and hospitals are owned by the  
governemnt .... that is not overblown, it is out and out  mendacity.

Canadians were promised that If they liked their health care insurance,  
they could keep it, If they liked their current doctor, they could keep him.  
Unfortunately, the single payer system drove out the insurance companies, 
and  the doctors left the patients, whether the patient liked it or not. 
Rural 
 doctors were not allowed to charge a bit more for offering care to fewer  
patients, and doctors are paid based on quantity now. There is a set rate 
for  procedures so doctors left the rural areas and moved to more populated 
areas.  This is not some small group of vocal opponents, the majority of 
americans do  not think obamacare will improve their care. The original 
budget 
estimates of a  few hundred billion have now grown to nearly 3 trillion 
according to the  Congressional Budget Office, so the whole promise of cost 
savings seems like a  pipe dream. 
 
Drew