Time to privatize healthcare?

[Hamloc]

Trust right wingers to come up with healthcare privatization as the solution to over run ICUs because of unvaccinated covid patients! LOL

How is private healthcare handling the over run healthcare system in the US because of covid? Aren't they having the the same problem keeping up with covid patients in many areas and don't have enough ICU beds and staff?

Why not advocate that everyone get vaccinated, that would be a a much cheaper and more effective solution to prevent people from ending up in hospital as much as possible?

Oh but many on the right wing argue against vaccine mandates and more vaccination!

All I can say is don't let right wingers anywhere near public health policy because they will f..k it up with stupid ideas.

So Chuck2 you obviously believe our socialized system gives good service. The neighbour that my son and I helped combine this fall might not agree. He has been waiting 3 years for a knee replacement, certainly a problem prior to Covid. Tore ligament in his shoulder last May, still waiting on an operation. He can hardly get around and has a somewhat low quality of life right now. Unable to do much work. We certainly need to improve the delivery of services.

[agstar77]

People I know are in Edmonton today at a private clinic for elective surgery rather than waiting 6 months to a year here. We go around once and the smoother, the better. Public health care worked when …. (you all know what I’d like to say).

So if something goes wrong and they need an ICU who will look after them?

[blackpowder]

Why does everyone think it has to be all or none? No one said they want a US style system. Is there not somewhat successful hybrids in other countries?

[chuckChuck]

So Chuck2 you obviously believe our socialized system gives good service. The neighbour that my son and I helped combine this fall might not agree. He has been waiting 3 years for a knee replacement, certainly a problem prior to Covid. Tore ligament in his shoulder last May, still waiting on an operation. He can hardly get around and has a somewhat low quality of life right now. Unable to do much work. We certainly need to improve the delivery of services.

Agreed we need better service. And the path to that is more capacity and more efficiency. It's going to take more doctors, more nurses and more beds. Its going to cost taxpayers more.

There is no profit in good affordable and timely healthcare. And why do we need to pay a profit to someone for healthcare? Where would the profit come from? Any potential profit should go to providing more healthcare. We don't need a two tier system where those who have money get the best care.

The other thing we need to do is spend more on prevention. Improving diets, getting more exercise and cutting smoking and alcohol consumption. Lifestyle factors are costing us billions in healthcare. Prevention is much cheaper.

But when governments try to cut sugar and salt contents in food, food processors fight it. As one example.

[agstar77]

Did you not get the memo on what happened in for profit senior homes? When it comes to the health of society profit does not seem to be the best choice. Depending on the altruism of corporate exec's is an iffy proposition. There are those that rail against the Bill Gates of the world but would you trust him with your health?

[jazz]

We don't need a two tier system where those who have money get the best care.

Trying to use the efficiency to the capitalist system to deliver a service for all people. Why not? Socialism hasnt ever worked and fails every time it tries.

Where is the govt going to get more money to put into this system? There are going to be millions of senior citizens.

I would rather have a profit based health care hybrid system than no care at all. Thats what we are facing. Canada doesnt want to expand its economy to pay for services thanks to ESG loons. It will crash.

[agstar77]

Next big crisis in China. Their one child policy created an aging pop that will need care and a shortage of workers.

[wmoebis]

What does a Hybrid or private system look like? I already have basic coverage and pay into extra benefit plan.

[jazz]

What does a Hybrid or private system look like? I already have basic coverage and pay into extra benefit plan.

It lets people who need immediate service pay for it and uses those funds to shore up the system for those who cant or wont.

It hires non union people who will actually work weekends pressing the buttons on the MRI and CT scanners.

It allows people who have an emergency to get treated in an hour, not wait with the drunks and druggies in the waiting room.

It puts a fee on people using scarce emergency services for non threatening conditions like colds and leg sprains.

[wmoebis]

Is there a country that uses this system already that we can observe how it works? We always seem to just compare our system to the USA and I haven't ever heard a whole bunch of praise for it except for maybe from the upper wealthy class.

[jazz]

Is there a country that uses this system already that we can observe how it works? We always seem to just compare our system to the USA and I haven't ever heard a whole bunch of praise for it except for maybe from the upper wealthy class.

Some provinces in Canada used to have a small user fee and AB used to have an annual $800 health premium.

Dont know what happened to any of that.

If you want to see what an injection of private money can do just look what toll roads do for highways in the US compared to canada. Its undeniable.

[agstar77]

Those who don’t want a hybrid system don’t want people who’ve worked hard to be able to get the care they need when they need it. That just wouldn’t be fair would it.

Rather than help themselves they’d like to bring everyone down to their level. This is why you need a hybrid system so there is an option for those less fortunate or those that would rather live off of the system.

The thing they don’t see is that a hybrid system would take pressure off of the public one and likely get them care sooner.

Working hard does not equate to being able to afford expensive care. Those that are in high office and control riches have not necessarily worked hard.

[furrowtickler]

Some of you would have a far different attitude if a child or grandchild needed a life saving treatment that had to wait .
I am fairly certain you would pay to get it done somewhere outside the current system if the wait time exceeded the life expectancy. Or even yourselves .

[furrowtickler]

Working hard does not equate to being able to afford expensive care. Those that are in high office and control riches have not necessarily worked hard.

Sounds like Trudeau your talking about lol

[jazz]

Working hard does not equate to being able to afford expensive care. Those that are in high office and control riches have not necessarily worked hard.

We arent talking about people paying for surgeries. We are talking doctor visits, minor procedures and diagnostics like MRIs and CT. And right to try legislation for experimental drugs that Canada is always lagging since all our research and development was chased out of the country by a socialized system.

When my dad had cancer, they couldnt develop a treatment plan for him until he had full imaging done. Well that was a 3-4 month wait in Sask. He got that done in 10days in Calgary. Would have been dead waiting for those scans.