Two Democrat senate icons recently entered the lottery to get a bed at a Canadian hospital for what ails them. Ted Kennedy decided to get his number as a result of the discovery that he had a malignant brain tumor. Later in the week, Senator Robert Byrd signed up for Canadian healthcare to treat a persistent high temperature.
Both men thanked the Canadian single payer system that has delivered the kind of medical care that would give them a fighting chance. Kennedy’s statement read in part:
Ah yes, it would have been nice to have my procedure done at Duke University with a team of top notch surgeons within a week of the diagnosis. But that’s just not possible in George Bush’s America. So I’ve entered the Canadian healthcare lottery. They have promised to review my case within the year. I am deeply committed to government run universal healthcare but it’d have been terribly hypocritical of me to take advantage of my position and wealth and hop on a plane to Cuba where everyone’s covered and we all know the healthcare is superb. It’s just a damn shame George Bush ruined the only other decent universal healthcare system in the world in Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
Robert Byrd’s statement included the now famous line, “I insisted on Canadian healthcare because it’s better than ours.” Right wing zealots jumped all over the 90 year old Byrd calling him, of course what else, unpatriotic. One patriotic WV 7-11 owner took all of the Molson beer and Canadian bacon off his shelves as a protest for Byrd “not taking the same run down healthcare we’re all saddled with.”
Well that’s not exactly how it all went down now is it. Both men were provided the best medical attention available anywhere in the world – right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. Is it expensive? You bet. A great deal of the high costs are because the government is already too involved in the medical industry.
Until Kennedy and/or Byrd hop a flight to somewhere else for their medical treatment, you can bet the US system is pretty darn good.
They’ll start hopping flights about three years after healthcare becomes universal and “free” here in the US.
1 comment:
After first I wasn't sure if your are making fun! :) Truly, I am selling optional health insurance with disability insurance in Canada and long waits for treatment are more and more part of Canadian folklore.
But I don't believe your health care is expensive because of government involvement. Market driven health care is expensive because doctors are properly paid and hospitals are well equipped. But it means some part of citizens will be excluded - that's how it goes. So finally, I am glad that I am using Canadian system (so far)...
Best wishes!
Lorne
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