Apparently the Canadians are getting a bit upset with the lies coming from our GOP about Canadian healthcare.  Here's a piece by a former deputy minister of health and deputy minister of treasury and economics for Ontario published in the Toronto Star:

     http://www.thestar.com/article/668161

     "As President Barack Obama drafts his health-care plan, he could profit from reviewing the successes and shortcomings of the Canadian system that has operated successfully for more than 40 years. Canada spends more than a third less per capita on health than the United States and still covers everyone, whereas the U.S. system leaves 46 million people without insurance.

     "Since our health statistics are markedly better, average Americans would be healthier and live longer if they lived in Canada. Here, doctors do not have to waste time seeking insurance approvals. Medical need is the only requirement and pre-existing conditions don't matter. The reduction in the bloated overheads and bureaucracy among insurance companies and government is one of the secrets to our lower costs. If the U.S. were to copy this, it could save $1 trillion a year and cover everyone. The lower costs would also help make employers more competitive.

     "In our system, wait times have been the largest complaint but some progress is being made. We do have a good referral system, which means that urgent cases mostly get treated in a timely fashion, hence our excellent health statistics.

      "The Canadian health plan remains our most popular government program. However, if we could start over, we could transform a very good system into a great one. Our main obstacle to reform is the very success of the system to date. Politicians admit privately that reforms are needed but they hesitate to speak out. This does not make for thoughtful debate.

     "Most problems stem from one cause. From the beginning, we ignored advice and made taxes the single source of funding. But there never are sufficient revenues for an open-ended system. This is why we struggle with scarcity of staff and equipment. While the U.S. probably spends too much on health care, Canada needs to spend more. We have to pay the price if we want a first-class system.

     "Our system, while very good, is due for an upgrade. But it is not realistic to expect Canadian governments to increase their share. Health-care costs have been climbing to the point where they are crowding out other essentials such as education and welfare, which are also important determinants of health and happiness. Increasing taxes is not recommended as Canadians are already overtaxed. If we want our economy to thrive so we can afford these services, we have to be sensitive to these issues.

     "When the government is the only payer, it rules out market signals that improve service and efficiency. We provide free coverage for minor services so we don't always have enough resources for timely major services. A more sensible system, while excluding no one, would include co-payments for front-end costs up to a reasonable maximum, depending on the patient's ability to pay.

      "Only an adequately funded universal health plan can protect all of us from major and catastrophic occurrences. But there will never be adequate funding if we continue to rely solely on government to provide for every minor expense.

     "Co-payments based on income would introduce a new source of funding to remedy this imbalance. It would encourage improved service rather than rationing. It would offer incentives for patients and providers to do the right thing. The more affluent would pay modest co-payments so the system could provide first-class service for all, rich and poor alike. This proposal would set the top co-payment at $2,500 a year for those earning more than $100,000, tapering to zero for those with incomes less than $25,000. In comparison, U.S. private premiums can be $15,000 a year plus co-payments.

     Can anyone explain to me and the rest of the American public why we aren't listening and seeking out the advice of these people.  Are we so arrogant that we don't think we can learn from people that have run a universal healthcare system for over 40 years and whose people elected the founder of that system (Tommy Douglas) the greatest Canadian ever!!!

www.aarp.org/community/groups/displayTopic.bt