Originally Posted by
Bostondevil
Tell me about it! I mean, I knew Canadians got their panties in twists when Americans dared to say their healthcare system and/or their ice dancers aren't perfect, but I didn't know Americans took it personally too! ;)
Kidding folks! I will repeat, that comparing which is better between Canada and the US in terms of healthcare very much depends on how you ask the question. Very much. Basic every day care that won't bankrupt you? Canada. Hands down. Emerging treatments, cutting edge technology, especially those that are high cost? USA. Proton beam radiation therapy is the treatment I am most familiar with that falls into that category. The technology/treatment is still relatively new, but not that new. The first one in the world opened in the UK in 1989. The first one in the US opened a year later. Canada doesn't have one yet. Why? Because they are very expensive to build. When my son was first diagnosed with his tumor, there were only 7 proton beam treatment centers in the US, by the time he needed his treatment, there were 13. The US built 6 more of these facilities in 10 years while the Canadian healthcare system managed to build zero.
The main reason Canada stumbled with vaccines has nothing to do with production and everything to do with money. The US invested in and purchased from pretty much every company that had a vaccine in clinical trials last summer. (I don't think they invested in the Chinese vaccine.) The US pre-ordered (and paid for) vaccine from Pfizer, Moderna, Asta Zeneca, J&J, and Novovax (there may be others but I have not checked.) Canada did not. Canada hedged their bets in an effort to save money. Spending more on healthcare overall does not correlate with better outcomes. There are, however, sub-categories where it does correlate and when spending more leads to better outcomes, the US beats Canada every time. Every. Time.
The US spends more than it should on healthcare and not in the right way because we still have people going bankrupt because of medical expenses which is unconscionable. Canada spends less than it should.