Stumbled onto this interesting read. There will be a part two later on. The most common exceptions to single payer, or Medicare for all, insurance ideas are addressed here.

All in all an interesting read.

http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/mythbusting-canadian-health-care-part-i

I've done quite a bit of work in Canada last year or so, and kind of did my own research.

I'd talk to co-workers or just folks at the bar, and each and not one complained about their health care delivery.

I was told that they definitely triage, and those with less threatening injuries/illnesses waited longer than those that were more acute, but no real complaints.

Some did complain about taxes, but what else is new?

Well, it's better to bitch about taxes than it is to be broke ass, not paying much, if any tax, and sick --going into debt.

All a matter of perspective.

Great article. I think it all boils down to this: "The percentage of Canadians who'd consider giving up their beloved system consistently languishes in the single digits."

Of course every system is going to have it's positive and negative points, but the bottom line is that Canadians seem generally happy with their healthcare. I've had conversations with my Canadian relatives and they have little negative to say.

On the other hand, I just spent ANOTHER hour on the phone going between the insurance, the pharmacy and the doctors office(each pointing the finger at the other), trying to get an antihistamine prescription refilled. And once again it's like pulling teeth to get the insurance to pay for what the doctor clearly prescribed.

That's the worst!

Consumption of free time is a HUGE NEGATIVE FACTOR with our current system.

The insurance companies consume a lot of time from everybody, and they deliver little overall value in the process. (their overhead negates the value of them floating costs, IMHO.)

Been there, done that, still doing that. When my wife fell ill, it essentially turned into another full time job dealing with everybody.

This is probably the single biggest advantage of a single pay system. Everybody will immediately have more time --given that single pay system also evaluates procedures and sets solid metrics for what delivers and what does not, for a given cost.

Those people, who are the exception, or want to be the exception can then easily spend their time to get it. Much better overall value proposition, IMHO.

I don't know about others here, but I've come to realize wealth is best expressed in terms of time; namely, time where a person gets to choose how they make use of that time, without having to make core life trade offs.

eg: Tons of time spent dealing with money issues, whatever they may be, means that time cannot be used for entertainment, self-improvement, or making money.

If people are so busy treading water, they never get to shore!

So, if one has a lot of money, that money can be converted to time --other peoples time, leaving one free to do as they will.

On the other hand, if one does not have a lot of money, but has structured their life to mitigate risk and that monthly nut, there remains time to do as they will also.

Both are wealthy, in terms of being able to make their own life choices and not have them made for them. Both have oppertunities to grow and change as well.

Either person, having to spend their time settling money matters, be they small or large ones, is then poor period, with the dollars meaning nothing where real wealth is concerned.

The insurance companies consume a lot of time from everybody, and they deliver little overall value in the process.

I agree.

But then you have to consider their business model: Get as much money from the policy holder as possible and give back as little as possible.

American Government???

Yeah Sky, that's right.

And that's exactly why we don't need them! We don't need businesses that do not add value to us, and that business model really is about just taking some of our health care potential, converting it to dollars and locking it away.

If we had a single pay system that was not run for profit, then those resources would then go to people, not share holders.

The goal needs to be we do what it takes to keep ourselves healthy, not encourage others to profit from others illness.