Health care should not be a right. It opens up too many difficult questions: How much care do we provide? How much say does the patient get? How much responsibility does the user have to the State for their own life choices related to health? In poor economic times does the State lower standards or borrow against the future? The list is endless and none of the answers are satisfactory.
If any of you who live in the city think that the Canadian system is wanting you should try living in the country. The quality of care and the waiting list are killing people. What makes matters worse is Canada has been borrowing to maintain its declining system which mean less money later to service it. Added to that our population is ageing rapidly and will put more strain on the medical system. Logically the level of service we enjoy today will need to be further cut and drastically!
Of course the American System(or lack of one) isn't where I would like to see Canada go. As for America I just can't see them affording to do what Obama wants. They need to limit medical lawsuits which is a big part of the expense down there and isn't being addressed. They also should reward(tax breaks) companies that offer comprehensive health care to their employees. Medical insurance plans should be required to offer formally company insured employees the option of up to one year of medical at the group rate their former employer provided when they leave the job. Current sin taxes should be thrown into a fund that would provide an extra million in coverage for those who exceed the maximum coverage of health plans with a reasonable upper limit. A tax deduction should be provided for hospitals and physicians who provide/volunteer at free clinics. There is a lot that could be done to improve conditions for Americans without costing money the country simply doesn't have.
|