Canada's Health Care System is Broken

Canada's government run health care system, that is basically free, is in crisis. Many on this board have held it up as a model and proof that government can afford to offer on demand free health care. The system had serious cracks before Covid but the stress of Covid has caused serious disruptions of service. Wait lists for elective surgeries and have doubled and even tripled. Many small hospitals need to shut down their ERs on short notice due to staff shortages. It is almost impossible to get a family doctor anywhere in the country because the payment model doesn't work for them. Even the walk-in clinics in small towns are closing permanently. Pregnant women nearing term need to travel and stay in other cities because maternity wards are shut down for lack of staff.

Meanwhile the Federal Government and the Province fight over who should be paying to try and solve the issues. Even with unlimited funds it would take years to repair the system.

Implement our system at your peril.

All Canadians would have to pay $3000 more per person to equal our cost. Whatever you want, as long as you can pay.

Quote: rxwine

All Canadians would have to pay $3000 more per person to equal our cost. Whatever you want, as long as you can pay.

"In 2020, U.S. national health expenditure as a share of its gross domestic product (GDP) reached an all time high of 19.7%. The United States has the highest health spending based on GDP share among developed countries. Both public and private health spending in the U.S. is much higher than other developed countries.Jun 20, 2022" statista.com

"According to the latest data available, Canada ranked among the highest spenders in 2019, spending $6,666 per person on health care, with the expenditure accounting for 10.8 per cent of the country's GDP." CTV News

Obviously Canada needs to spend more because our system is broken. Can the US afford to pay 19.7% of GPD to create truly free medical? I don't know.

Quote: kenarman

Obviously Canada needs to spend more because our system is broken. Can the US afford to pay 19.7% of GPD to create truly free medical? I don't know.

I think it is correct to say socialist proposals generally would have us paying more, and 19.7 is already too high.

I'm finding recently socialists are quite ready to shrug at the problems of the poor, unless they can manipulate that into a victimhood with the government as a solution for redress. So I think probably all countries eventually are just going to continue with best health care for those who can pay, and increased rationing for those who can't ... no matter if it's the left or the right who's ideas get implemented.