AxeMental wrote:Perhaps Canada is different Alg (and it may be, with a much lower mostly homogenous population)
"Homogenous?"
Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha! 
I said it before, and I'll say it again Alg, we AMERICA create the generator of new products that YOU the socialists take advantage of.
Just 'cause you say it often doesn't make it any truer.
Personally Alg, I'd like to see these companies tell the rest of teh world to bite it and not give them any of the medications their people need
Companies don't "give" medications to anyone. Other countries pay for them. If they weren't making money, they wouldn't sell.
Unfortunately, these drug companies aren't the heartless bastards I would be.
Oh of course they are!
They give the same medications they sell to us Americans to much of the rest of the world at a loss (perhaps not Canada, but possibly, it probably depends on the particular drug) but places like Central America, Africa, Asia, you get it.
No, they don't give medications to anyone, they sell them at a profit. Selling at a loss wouldn't be tolerated by shareholders.
America has done more for the world (in providing medicines and new tools) in the last 100 years than any other nation (not the govt. but its people and its free market system).
So what've they done for me
recently?
But seriously....
Many people from many countries have worked together to provide those medicines and new tools.
Once again, you'll never here a pro-socialist medicine person ever mention a serious reinvestigation into how to make drug development cheaper or the practise of medicine less expensive for our doctors (tort, FDA, Govt. reform, etc.).
I'm not sure what you're saying here. "Pro-socialists never mention serious reinvestigations into how to make drug development cheaper or the practice of medicine less expensive?" You can't possibly mean that, so I must be reading it wrong.
Alg, There is a reason it takes 4 billion to develop a new medication these days, and its not all research and development. If you want to start someplace, start by helping the hand that feeds you, not biting it off.
You think buying medication at a reasonable price is "biting the hand that feeds you." I think overcharging people for medication is "biting the hand that feeds you."
You are aware that Canada is one of the leading nations when it comes to certain areas of medical research, right? Same as pretty much any modern nation, really.
AxeMental wrote:Hey Alg, I remember reading an article about Canadian's coming down to Florida for hip replacements and other medical procedures (we get a ton of French Canadians around here) and the Fl hospitals raking it in. Couldn't find it but here is another covering similar ground:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articl ... id=1453063 its
The article mentions there is serious concern from the Canadian govt. over this trend (Canadians going to the USA for elective surgery to avoid waiting on the governments tab).
And this seems to confirm this concern (the fact that they keep talking about waiting periods must indicate a problem).
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articl ... id=1453063
Yup. Nobody likes waiting for elective surgery. Poor planning and budget cuts are constantly causing problems in some areas like that.
Other people do it just to hack everyone off. There are plenty of people in Canada who would rather go to the American system. Us lefties often call them "right wing lunatics."
Many Quebecers also dislike
any Canadian system, no matter which wing of the duck they're flapping on.
The problem isn't that people go to the States for treatment, it's that they do it when such treatment is available in Canada. Our medicare still has to pay for their treatment, no matter where they get it done, and the prices in the States are often ridiculously high in comparison.
Part of our health care system is intregrated with US medical care. Patients are sent to the States for certain rare illnesses that would be too expensive in Canada. IIRC, we also send patients to the UK and (maybe) Sweden still, too.
You have to remember, our population dwarfs your own, and generally its much less healthy (with a much larger population of illegal immigrants and higher levels of poverty). Our govt. also tends to be far more corrupt and waistful (check out Obama's 1000 page 800 billion dollar bail out plan dropped off 2 days before its vote with no one having the time to read it and no public disclosure).
We have plenty of government corruption. Just ask our Liberal Party. But don't let them side-track you with stories about golf balls!
Like I said, I've only read and watched stories about people coming from Europe, Canada and the rest of the world for medical care (usually because of the wait due to rationing, but also because of the quality of our doctors and facilities).
Some countries specialise in certain areas. Sometimes Americans go to other countries because of the quality of their doctors and facilities, too.
a few months back and required a months course of anti-inflamitories. The month's course cost me £5.00 (prescription charge) probably around $8.00. Those tax/national insurance contributions are what keeps the cost to a bare minimum for the UK citizen. If I required drugs for life the prescription cost would still only be £5.00.). I hope to be visiting the UK sometime this year. How does your healthcare treat foreigners, legal and illegal?
