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Auscandoc

have seen versions of this public-private “debate” countless times. A typical pattern happens whenever our is in , as it is today. Following alarmist claims of spiralling public health care spending, calls for increased private financing and health care soon follow.

the debate around private spending has been settled legally. The found in an 880 page ruling that more privately paid care would result in more waiting and worse care.”

“We need only look as far back as the early days of to recall the consequences of delivery of publicly funded services. The toll enacted by COVID-19 on older adults was a cruel illustration. Mortality in for-profit, investor-owned homes in Ontario was 78 per cent higher than in non-profit homes, with some of the most devastating consequences affecting corporate chains.”

““fallacy of the golden mean,” a concept that dates back to Aristotle and Ancient Greek philosophy. Debates like these lead observers to believe that both sides of an argument have equal value and that the truth lies halfway.

There is no “” science. Whether discussing private pay or for-profit investor-owned delivery, the evidence tells a clear story: we can’t afford .”

“The should focus on modern solutions to improve our health care system. for everyone in Canada, , single entry specialist referrals and improving work conditions are just a few policy reforms to help.”

@auscandoc All you really have to do is look south. I believe the US spends more than almost any other nation on healthcare, with much worse outcomes. Plus, most of ours is tied to a job, which is just a terrible idea.

@czarbucks Unfortunately powerful self interests (aka Doug’s Cronies) use the example of the USA as “patient choice”. Bad outcomes are what happen to “other people”. The Cronies sell the line that you can “pay to get treated faster”. Instead of improving access so that _all_ can get treated in the reasonable time frame.

@auscandoc The wealthy will always rise to the top in those systems. I’d give a lot for the US to have Canada’s system.

@czarbucks We were at a random comedy venue in NYC in June and at least three acts, picking on us being Canadians, riffed on “free healthcare”. It took a lot of restraint for me to resist piping up and interjecting, “That is because we choose to pay the higher taxes necessary to fund it”.

It’s not “free” it’s “publicly funded”.

@auscandoc

Exactly. Your choices show your priorities. I despair of ours.

@czarbucks To a person, when offered the (currently entirely legal in Canada) option, “So you’d be willing to pay for someone else to have their hip operation sooner to shorten the length of time you yourself have to spend in the queue” none say “here’s the cheque”.