> Quoting Marvin Gandall <marvgandall at rogers.com>:
>
>> There are a lot of problems - and misconceptions - about the Canadian
>> public
>> single payer system. But it is to the US system what parliamentary
>> democracy
>> was to absolute monarchy, an advance. Apart from the all-important equity
>> issue, it is administratively more efficient and single payer appears to
>> be
>> the most effective means of applying price pressure on Big Pharma.
>
> I agree with it being an advance and the equity issue is a very big
> advantage.
> My point is different though. Canada relies on a for-profit health care
> delivery system. Other nations that use a more socialized delivery system
> deliver better care for less money. Another point that should be obvious
> is
> that the US is a very different place than Canada. Even if the US got
> single-payer, I very much worry about the influence of Big Pharma, Big
> Nursing
> Home, Big Hospo, Big Doc, and Big Equip (even if they are lesser problems
> in
> Canada).
----------------------------------------
Agree. The doctors were the only formidable constituency which opposed the
introduction of medicare, then calmed down somewhat when they realized it
meant they would no longer have to incur patient defaults on their billings,
and could still control their fees by controlling licensing and the supply
coming out of medical school. The big drug companies were HQ'ed elsewhere,
and the administrative and technological arms of the medical establishment
were still in their infancy. The modern US health care industry, as you say,
is a much bigger nut to crack, though I wonder why the corps outside of it
(perhaps excepting the auto industry) haven't pushed for a greater
government role given their escalating health care premiums. Mostly able to
pass the costs onto their workers, obviously.
Based on what little I've read, I admire the Cuban health care system most, but we know what it took to get there. Progressive Canadian critics of medicare also agree "other nations that use a more socialized delivery system" based on salaried doctors like Britain and the Nordic countries do "deliver better care for less money", although cutbacks seem to have seriously eroded their effectiveness, as well.
A lot of the commentary, including your own, and from both sides, has been very informative. Thanks.
MG