Quote: Originally Posted by
Harry Dresden 
Huggy....there are 10 countries in the world with populations over 100 mil.....how many of them have great healthcare systems?....and then compare the same countries and then tell me where you would rather be if you or a loved one was hurt seriously and needed help....what i am basically saying here is....all these so-called great health care systems are in countries with populations MUCH lower than ours,and are much smaller in size ....outside of Canada,but they only have to worry about,what,30 mill. people .....you guys are making it sound so much easier to do than what it really is.....
I'm not arguing one way or another, since I have lived in both Canada and the UK, and have used both systems. If you are worried about size, there are two points. First, one would think that the larger the country, the greater the economies of scale. This is absolutely, positively, completely and totally a big plus for government-run health care. One of the reasons why other countries have lower health care costs is because there is less paperwork due to economies of scale. Second, if you think that the country is too big, then do it through the states.
Having lived half my life in Canada and half in America - and a bit in England - my perception is that Americans have a far worse perception of the Canadian system than it really is. On the other hand, most Canadians also have a far worse perception of the American system than it really is. Both nations feed on cultural stereotypes and overdramatize the differences.
Generally, if you are poor or lower-middle class, it is better to be in Canada. If you are rich and upper middle class, it is better to be in America. If you are middle class, it depends upon your health insurance in the US. If you have great insurance, it is better to be in America. If you have poor insurance, it is better to be in Canada.