Canadian Healthcare myth (Emergency rooms)

On scienceblogs.com, revere has posted another article busting a myth about Canadian Healthcare. This time he tackles the Emergency Room.

Here's my take on the health care debate over managed vs. universal care.

I think there's three big points that should be considered when deciding which would be a more appropriate system.

1. What are countries who are changing or updating their system their system doing? Europe, Asia, Australia, and Canada. These places all practice some form of socialized healthcare. Whether its a mixed system or purely national most countries have consistently moved away from privately managed care. And when these countries update their systems they all turn to the Nordic countries, who have developed the most progressive healthcare policies.

2. What is the cost per annum? In 2005 the US spent the most of any country per person according to John's Hopkins University. This is obviously not a good reflection on our current system.

3. How do we fare against other countries on benchmark health stats? Well on infant mortality we rank just a little below Cuba, meaning for every 1 of our little red blooded baseball playin' boys who dies young there's an extra Cuban commie waving that red flag around cause his healthcare system is better, chew on that math. In life expectancy we're not too bad, in this study by the WHO we're 24th, others say lower. We're also the fattest, most plastic surgery having, second most aborting nation.

So I think its pretty obvious there is a problem and there are a few aspects of a new health care system should address to improve the system.

I'm ok with a mixed or two-tiered system as long as the national enrollment had to be accepted by all doctors, covers all preventative, normal treatments, and emergency care. This is very important because doctors make a lot of money right now because they deserve it. Go to any hospital in the US and follow a doctor around for 14 hours. Then go home and eat and go back to the hospital when he gets called two hours later and hang out with him there for another 6 hours until he gets to leave. And then do it again the next day, 6 days a week, all year.

The point is they do work hard because our large treatment facilities are absolutely loaded with people who could be seen by a family doctor with a thermometer and prescription pad. But instead the guys that know how to cut open chests and sew up blood vessels are filling out paperwork for the 30 prescriptions they give out to see children with the flu! The flu people, something no emergency room can do anything to help you with. But the problem is these families can't afford to walk into a private doctors office. ER care will improve and the system will be far less burdened with clogged institutions.

This in turn offers better overall community health because people don't have to pay to go to the doctor yearly, or don't have to show up to the ER 15 times in a year for a newborn. Consistent screening and preventative care will do a lot to stop late stage diseases, like cancer.

This country is one of the few that has serious doubts about evolution and believes in a great creator that gives everyone the same love but when it comes to healthcare has a pay or die attitude, that doesn't add up.

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