Heather’s point was an analysis of Canada versus the US. We can easily go over NZ or AUS or even France, the UK and Cuba and China and find a wide variety of programs. The one core to these all is that the medical industry is an arm of government. Thus it reflects the needs of government, not the individual.
There are those in the US who believe medical care should be managed by the same people who put $ billions in pork ears into every budget bill passed and WILL NOT create a balanced budget. At the same time, it is not written within our constitution that Americans should be taken care of from cradle to grave. The theory of life in this country, for as long as I have known it, has been that I should be given every opportunity to succeed or… fail, depending on my self, not government. Over time, the US population has been given political Kool Aid to permit government to manage sectors of the commercial economy. The latest example IS Mr. Bush’s drug plan.
At the same time, much of the higher costs incurred in medicine in the US can be directly attributed to government interference and restriction. Who does not believe that someone can come up with a better medical plan if they believe they can make money at it? Who, also doesn’t understand that the reason we do not have enough vaccines for standard treatments of the common flu is because government has fixed the cost on this commodity? How much of Robert’s $200 fee goes to government mandates and liability insurance?
With the aging baby boom population, why have the number of medical school graduates declined over the past 25 years? Could it be because college students who are now looking at medicine hear the stories of those now practicing in the general fields and how, between government restrictions and trial lawyers, there is very little ability any more to make a significant income for one’s self and family? Of course, there is no shortage of cosmetic surgeons because that industry is still an elective surgery, for which the people pay.
Every country, save one, has a tradition of government management of their nation. Their people expect government to “fix” problems. It’s a situation where the Canadian people will need to vote in another government who will address this situation. Then change might come. The US is the one nation where government is meant to be “of the people, by the people, for the people.” That way, our people can grow to help each other and our neighbors to the north, when they need it.
