#94 Free Healthcare
April 4, 2008 by clander
In spite of having access to the best health insurance and fanciest hospitals, white people are passionate about the idea of socialized medicine. So much so that they have memorized statistics and examples of how for-profit medicine has destroyed the United States.
But before you can exploit this information for personal gain, it’s important that you understand why white people are so in love with free health care.
The first and most obvious reason is “they have it Europe.” White people love all things European, this especially true of things that are unavailable in the United States (Rare Beers, Absinthe, legal marijuana, prostitution, soccer). The fact that it’s available in Canada isn’t really that impressive, but it does contribute to their willingness to threaten to move there.
These desires were only heightened in 2007 when Michael Moore released “Sicko,” a documentary that contrasts the health care industry in the United States with that of Canada, France and Cuba. As a general rule of thumb, white people are always extra passionate about issues that have been the subject of a Moore documentary. As a test, ask them about 9/11, Gun Control, or Health Care and then say “where did you get that information?” You will not be surprised at the results.
But the secret reason why all white people love socialized medicine is that they all love the idea of receiving health care without having a full-time job. This would allow them to work as a freelance designer/consultant/copywriter/photographer/blogger, open their own bookstore, stay at home with their kids, or be a part of an Internet start-up without having to worry about a benefits package. Though many of them would never follow this path, they appreciate having the option.
If you need to impress a white person, merely mention how you got hurt on a recent trip Canada/England/Sweden and though you were a foreigner you received excellent and free health care. They will be very impressed and likely tell you about how powerful drug and health care lobbies are destroying everything.
Though their passion for national health care runs deep, it is important to remember that white people are most in favor of it when they are healthy. They love the idea of everyone have equal access to the resources that will keep them alive, that is until they have to wait in line for an MRI.
This is very similar to the way that white people express their support for public schools when they don’t have children.
First!
First to be stupid, yes.
Don’t be jealous a-hole…
I’d love to wait months for a surgery under a socialize healthcare program…that sounds fun
http://www.platenuts.com
I’d rather be first to post but did that happen for me?
http://www.asusportsreport.com/
http://www.tucc.org
wow!
http://whiteboardblog.wordpress.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89GlA5temPA
Jesus was not Black. He also was not a “Jew”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89GlA5temPA
Oh? I’m currently waiting two months to get an appointment to get a second opinion since my current doctor, IMHO has botched care for a chronic disease.
A one month wait, like those in Canada would be an improvement.
There are no second opinions under the Canadian system.
no second opinions in canada? look you ignorant fucking asshole we can go to as many doctors as we want to get differing opinions, one opinion is you are a fucking idiot.
I am Jack’s raging temper.
You must be really white. Are you also a doctor? Or a hospital administrator? Or perhaps a federal government employee?
Funniest comment on the board!
Do you even know what a second opinion is?
Um. Frank. I don’t know what country you live in (or province) - but you can in fact go to as many doctors and get as many opinions as you like under the Canadian health care system. There’s no limit on how many doctors you can see for a problem.
Under the Canadian health care system, you can go to as many doctors as you’d like for additional opinions, as long as you are referred to them from other doctors. Because this is not a consumer market, you cannot just decide to see a specialist/ doctor at any time; you must be referred to each doctor by some other doctor/ health care professional. This is where the difficulty lies for most people.
But if it’s anything like New Zealand (also public health) you can still have private health insurance and bypass a referral or pay for it yourself. Public and market can coexist, our health system rocks. Now if only we wern’t such a fucking small country and could retain doctors….
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In Canada you can see as many GP’s as you like, but you need a referral to see a specialist.
That’s the system in Australia.
You must be referred to a specialist by a GP.
It has always been like that.
Before Medicare and before Medibank,
that was how it was done.
I work for a health insurance company in the US, in fact, I am at work right now (don’t tell my boss). And I don’t know about other companies, but at my company you do have to have a referral for a second opinion. You also have to have a referral to get an specialty care, or to get an MRI or MRA or anything like that. If you want to see a specialist who is not within my company’s provider network, you not only have to get a referral from your primary doctor, but the company has to approve the referral. If the person approving the referral does not think it is medically necessary, then they won’t approve it and you can’t see your specialist. So I don’t see what’s different with this than the Canadian system other than in Canada you don’t have to pay to go through all this bullshit.
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HEY JACK, MAYBE CANADA WOULD PAY FOR SOME ANGER MANAGEMENT CLASSES FOR YOU! CHILL
“One opinion is you are a fucking idiot!” - Bahahahahahahahaha! I love you, Jack!
You are an asshole yourself…this is obviously a list of stuff designed to make people laugh. In any event, thus far the author has not mentioned “white people loving pricks who take themselves too seriously.” Lighten up Frances!
Seriousness is stupidty sent to college.
Umm, I believe Francis is he to whom you are referring.
prick who takes himself too seriously
You are an asshole yourself…this is obviously a list of stuff designed to make people laugh. In any event, thus far the author has not mentioned “white people loving pricks who take themselves too seriously.” Lighten up Frances!
Seriousness is stupidty sent to college.
~ PJ O’Rourke
Obviously Roman has no bachelors. Maybe if he had attended college, he could come up with his own dumbass quips, instead of using others’?
Obviously Roman has no bachelors. Maybe if he had attended college, he could come up with his own dumbass quips, instead of using others’?
also, learn to say everything you want to before you add a comment. double posting is for rednecks
There aren’t? We go where ever we want for any treatment…second opinions, fuck it, even 5th opinions. You simply call another doctor and book an appointment.
No wonder the Canadian system doesn’t work.
I think your head doesn’t work. Book an appointment for one of those jiffy MRIs.
Obivously you’ve never had any experience with the Canadian health care system. I was visiting friends in Whistler, BC when I got appendicitis. The care I received was better than any I’ve received in an American ER.
Don’t bother replying - you’ll only make yourself sound even stupider than you already do.
that’s pretty white of you to say you had a great health care treatment. during you travels abroad.
5 stars!
your care was “great” perhaps because appendicitis is a medical emergency…try being a laborer sidelined and having to take off for extreme debilitating pain in your back…try scheduling an mri of your lumbar spine to look for a herniated disk…bout a 6-8 week wait. try get and appointment with a neurosurgeon once the disc herniation and nerve compression are found…bout 6-8 weeks. try scheduling surgery to decompress the nerve…yes the doc will see you in the OR in 30-40 weeks…so that adds up to 50-56 weeks…a years wait and out of work to fix a chronic condition. same process in most us sytems? 4-6 weeks totals. hmmmm.
Now, that’s odd: Frank doesn’t like it when Canada >doesn’tdoes<. I think he just doesn’t like health care for everybody. Just for Frank, I bet. You work for the government, Frank? General Motors as an exec? phn!
Now, that’s odd: Frank doesn’t like it when Canada >doesn’tdoes<. I think he just doesn’t like health care for everybody. Just for Frank, I bet. You work for the government, Frank? General Motors as an exec? phn!
Now, that’s odd: Frank doesn’t like it when Canada doesn’t give second opinions, and he doesn’t like it when it does. I think he just doesn’t like health care for everybody. Just for Frank, I bet. You work for the government, Frank? General Motors as an exec? phn!
In fact this is wrong Frank. I have only moved to the US in 2001 after 51 years in Canada and there are lots of options for a ‘2nd opinion’ in the Canadian health care system. I have waited much longer here and actually have recently calculated my taxes and would argue that after my co pays an health care premiums I pay a lot more overall here than I have ever paid in Canada, even after calculating employers health tax.
Sorry but you are wrong.
So why did you move? Doctors are sexier here? Better job here? Couldn’t afford to live in Canada after the Looney rose against the Green Back?
If the Looney rose against the Dollar that would make imported American goods cheaper to buy douche bag…
I’d love to hear some of your health care stories…please post here…
http://johnmccain08.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/question-1-health-care/
You couldn’t be more wrong about second opinions in Canada. Our system entitles you to a second, third and fourth opinion if you want it, all covered under public medicine. If you have a heart attack, a stroke or anything else that needs immediate medical attention, there is no waiting for treatment or surgery. We do have wait times for elective sugery like knee or hip replacement, but not for anything life threatening. You will receive all the treatment you needin hospital and when you get home you’ll be billed $45.00 for the ambulance ride, if you took one. Free health care, whether I’m sick or well, is one of the main reasons I love this country, and I would never move anywhere else.
Hey Canadians, thanks for sending your finest physicians to the USA. They’ve provided me with some great health care!
… took a while, but now we’ve hit the meat of the issue…
yeah, you have wait times for the majority of people who DON’T have life-threatening illnesses…that’s great, you say that like in america we have wait times for life-threatening illnesses. no. we have something called the “free market” and the gov’t is effing with it left and right. back in the day when healthcare was still a free market (i.e. before government got all up in its business) doctors were very much affordable, no matter WHAT kind of treatment you needed or how severe you were or if you didn’t have “insurance”. how about we go back to that and i can quit supporting lazy people with MY tax dollars for medicare? whatever.
umm jackass you have it all backwards
you don’t know anything about the ‘free market’ or ‘back in the day.’ things like breathing, education and healthcare were never supposed to be commodified and put on the market system in the first place. also, according to Smith and Ricardo, government IS supposed to play a role in the market; it is supposed to restrict the flow of labor and capital from moving across borders. so the ‘free market,’ as you know it, is not what it is supposed to be (as you clearly are aware). BUT, for the same reason communism is good in theory but not in practice, free market capitalism is also good in theory (but not in practice). you should read ‘wealth of nations’ and maybe some Weber (Max Weber). then you should get a better idea of what’s going on and why universal healthcare and other socialist policies are beneficial. in fact, if we had a socialist system of public education, you probably would have gotten a good education.
white people like to pretend they know what they’re talking about
According to Hayek, the government isn’t supposed to play a role in the economy.
So we seem to have an issue here.
Oh, and as it turns out: we DO have socialist education. Especially in states like NJ.
Everyone is still dumb. Explain that.
this is one of the most poorly-argued and factually confused critiques of the free market I’ve ever read.
Your country also gets taxed like 15%… Sounds awesome!
Yes, but with free healthcare and free education, it’s not like it’s the end of the world. I’d rather pay higher taxes every year than try to keep up with insurance premiums and student loan payments.
Brian, it’s your choice if you’d like to pay higher taxes and then have the government decide/design the quality/quantity of your healthcare, but don’t be disappointed when it is not to your satisfaction. Also, it is by no means free. I’d prefer customizing my insurance plan to my personal needs and lifestyle (thereby controlling the price and quality of my health care) and taking out student loans to maximize the quality of my education. As a graduate of an Ivy League business school, my salary reflects my education and this is why I’m able to pay off those loans so quickly. Calculate the net present value of your investments in your education versus future salaries to be earned over your lifetime. Be sure to incorporate the probabilities of receiving different salaries given where you study, and you’ll see the payoff of deciding/paying for your own services. This is NOT to say that I do not believe in aiding those who cannot afford adequate healthcare, I just also believe in a person’s right to choose. I think that a two-tiered system is the best compromise (and the most realistic and attainable on the short term with minimal governmental reform).
It isn’t free. You are paying for it through taxes. Why do people think it is free?
Yah, that puzzles me, too. (Seriously.) And on the other side, Americans think they aren’t paying “taxes” for health care. Taxes to help build hospitals, taxes to pay government employees’ health care, indigent care entitlements, elderly and disabled health care entitlements, childrens’ health care entitlements, taxes for social security and public services for the disabled because they didn’t get good health care or the health care they got broke them financially, taxes to pay for special education for kids whose mom got lousy prenatal care, and much more. And what exactly is insurance? Sounds like taxes that insurance companies collect to pay for health insurance for wealthy lucky people, to me. Regressive taxes, in fact. Maybe all those people without health care are fortunate, because they don’t have to pay so much for health care. As long as they don’t need it, that is. phn!
Yeah, Peg, see my comment immediately above. Since you’re not paying hefty insurance premiums & deductibles (nor student loans for that matter), taxes aren’t such a big deal.
I hate to get involved in these arguments, but I’m from the states and I’ve been living in France for the past year and a half, and it must be said, the health care here is phenomenal. Hands down a better system than back home. I’ll admit, there are issues, but all in all, I much prefer these issues to the ones Americans face.
Also, I keep reading comments about the best Canadian doctors moving to the US to make more money… but aren’t Canadians far healthier overall? Brag all you want about having good doctors in the US, but I think the fact that Americans are dying younger speaks volumes. I mean, sweet, you have a great surgeon, but what if your insurance finds a loophole and won’t pay? Great surgeons are only useful if you can get them to operate on you.
On that note, I want to make sure everyone is aware that I don’t honestly believe the American doctors are any more or less gifted than those in Canada or France.
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So my elective hip replacement that is so debilitating that i cant event walk is going to have to wait a few months. Or better yet, i need to get a hysterectomy, tubal ligation, remove tissue samples that could be cancerous for a biopsy, or even better yet angioplasty or putting in a pacemaker. Stop trying to pretend that the canadian healthcare system beats the american healthcare system in every manner. I would like to see canada deal with a population of 300,000 (and illegal aliens) and still keep there free healthcare.
I don’t know Mike, my aunt at home has been waiting for a shoulder surgery for quite some time now… that’s the United States. Are you sure it’s really that fast?
$45.00 ambulance bill? Try $300
you can always ask for a second opinion or see another doctor or ask for a re-test or go to the states. plus, at least most people can afford to see a doctor in canada! since any opinion is free!
“There are no second opinions under the Canadian system.”
What??? I was born and raised in Canada. You can get as many opinions as you want. You can go to numerous doctors to get 2nd, 3rd & 4th opinions. I don’t know how you came up with that one.
I have had second opinions many times in Canada.
And third opinions.
Insurance administrative overhead runs close to 30% as a national average - that’s 30 cents of every dollar that is not being spent on actual care. Compare that to Medicare, where the government’s administrative overhead is closer to 3%. Which entity is using their money more efficiently?
So move.
Frank, I hope you live in a world with no free health care so that when you get sick and die, the overall human species will benefit from that gain.
One month? I wish.
My mom is currently walking in agony, now that the cartilage has completely worn away in her knees. Here’s how the Canadian medical system has treated her so far:
Wait 1 month for a GP appointment.
Wait 12 weeks for an MRI.
Wait 2 months for an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon.
Currently on waiting list for a least 1 year for knee replacement surgery.
That’s 1 1/2 years of living in extreme pain and disability.
Oh, but it’s free.
My mom is living similarly and she’s in the US with health insurance she pays for.
My dad got a pacemaker the day after he passed out on the side of the road. His care following that hospital stay has been excellent.
My uncle in the UK, had a very similar incident, same cardiac problem, and while he got an “opinion” right away, NHS took months to decide if he ought to have a pacemaker. Meanwhile, he was afraid to leave his apartment, lest he collapse again.
Basically, MY ANECDOTE IS BETTER THAN YOURS, SO I WIN!
I as well have a chronic disease (in the US) and have a 3 month waiting period for my next specialist appointment.