Younger Americans have made sure that universal single-payer health care is part of the discussion Americans are having about what they want their nation to be. The reason? Young Americans are learning more about universal health care, and realizing its value. They are also not frightened by the word "socialism."
I immigrated to Canada in October 2005, along with my wife and daughter. In the 15 years we've lived here, our experience with Canada's system of universal health care or, as it is known here in Canada, simply "Medicare", has been a positive one.
It is important to understand that, in Canada, the only people who are allowed to make decisions about who receives medical care are physicians. In the United States, by contract, HMOs and other private medical insurers do indeed make many such decisions about who gets what care (it's probably more appropriate to say "who gets denied the care they need). In Canada, medical decisions are left entirely up to doctors, and there are no requirements for pre-authorization whatsoever. If your family doctor says you need an MRI, you get an MRI. Like I did after a severe concussion four years ago. An emergency room doctor called a Moncton New Brunswick hospital, and I got an immediate appointment for an MRI the following morning. Straight to the head of the line. My "ability to pay" was not a consideration. In the US, if an insurance administrator or HMO rep says you are not getting an MRI, then you're not getting one regardless of what your doctor thinks — unless, of course, you pay for it out of your own pocket. I bet you there are far more Americans paying for necessary medical procedures out of their own pockets than there are Canadians who find it necessary to do that.
The health system of an entire country can't be evaluated by measures like "MRI machines per capita" or perhaps, "number of hospital beds per capita", not if the use of those machines and beds is rationed by ability to pay for them.
There are statistics that are generally accepted as valid measures of the overall health of a population. What are some of these and, in the aggregate, which population fares better by these measures, that of the US or Canada?
Infant mortality rates (the number of infants who died under the age of one year, per thousand)
It is important to understand that, in Canada, the only people who are allowed to make decisions about who receives medical care are physicians. In the United States, by contract, HMOs and other private medical insurers do indeed make many such decisions about who gets what care (it's probably more appropriate to say "who gets denied the care they need). In Canada, medical decisions are left entirely up to doctors, and there are no requirements for pre-authorization whatsoever. If your family doctor says you need an MRI, you get an MRI. Like I did after a severe concussion four years ago. An emergency room doctor called a Moncton New Brunswick hospital, and I got an immediate appointment for an MRI the following morning. Straight to the head of the line. My "ability to pay" was not a consideration. In the US, if an insurance administrator or HMO rep says you are not getting an MRI, then you're not getting one regardless of what your doctor thinks — unless, of course, you pay for it out of your own pocket. I bet you there are far more Americans paying for necessary medical procedures out of their own pockets than there are Canadians who find it necessary to do that.
The health system of an entire country can't be evaluated by measures like "MRI machines per capita" or perhaps, "number of hospital beds per capita", not if the use of those machines and beds is rationed by ability to pay for them.
There are statistics that are generally accepted as valid measures of the overall health of a population. What are some of these and, in the aggregate, which population fares better by these measures, that of the US or Canada?
Infant mortality rates (the number of infants who died under the age of one year, per thousand)
USA 5.3 deaths/1000
Canada 4.3
Source: CIA World Factbook
The probability of a newborn making it to age 65
Female Male
USA 85.7% 77.4%
Canada 89.3% 82.3%
Source: https://www.
Life expectancy at birth for the total population (male and female), considered a good indicator of overall health
(The gap in life expectancy between Canada and the United States continues to widen)
Life expectancy at birth for the total population (male and female), considered a good indicator of overall health
(The gap in life expectancy between Canada and the United States continues to widen)
USA 78.6%
Canada 81.9%
Source: OECD List of Countries by Life Expectancy (2016)
And, my own favourite statistic: expected number of healthy years of life (because I don't want to live long; I want to live well).
Healthy life expectancy (HALE) is the average number of years that a person can expect to live in "full health"
And, my own favourite statistic: expected number of healthy years of life (because I don't want to live long; I want to live well).
Healthy life expectancy (HALE) is the average number of years that a person can expect to live in "full health"
USA 66.1 years
Canada 71.3
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