Soaring costs force Canada to reassess health model

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

But... but.... socialized health care is so much more affordable than that nasty private American system..

TORONTO (Reuters) – Pressured by an aging population and the need to rein in budget deficits, Canada's provinces are taking tough measures to curb healthcare costs, a trend that could erode the principles of the popular state-funded system.

Ontario, Canada's most populous province, kicked off a fierce battle with drug companies and pharmacies when it said earlier this year it would halve generic drug prices and eliminate "incentive fees" to generic drug manufacturers.

British Columbia is replacing block grants to hospitals with fee-for-procedure payments and Quebec has a new flat health tax and a proposal for payments on each medical visit -- an idea that critics say is an illegal user fee.

And a few provinces are also experimenting with private funding for procedures such as hip, knee and cataract surgery.

It's likely just a start as the provinces, responsible for delivering healthcare, cope with the demands of a retiring baby-boom generation. Official figures show that senior citizens will make up 25 percent of the population by 2036.

"There's got to be some change to the status quo whether it happens in three years or 10 years," said Derek Burleton, senior economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank.

"We can't continually see health spending growing above and beyond the growth rate in the economy because, at some point, it means crowding out of all the other government services.

"At some stage we're going to hit a breaking point."

Soaring costs force Canada to reassess health model - Yahoo! News

 

[hortysir]

From a British member of another board:

The free health care..that is something I do find America needs..but they have Obama now so are the right track to catching up with us.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Canada should come down here and see how we do it. Our plan is deficit neutral.

 

[midcan5]

""Why are we paying more or the same for cataract surgery when it costs substantially less today than it did 10 years ago? There's going to be a finer look at what we're paying for and, more importantly, what we're getting for it," he said.

Other problems include trying to control independently set salaries for top hospital executives and doctors and rein in spiraling costs for new medical technologies and drugs." from op

Controlling costs are always a problem. The same complaint can be made for all government programs, and the solution is to control costs and raise funds. The hard part is priorities, fair cost, and values, and the guts to do it. Do you suggest we stand still as a civilized nation?

 

[KissMy]

Canada should come down here and see how we do it. Our plan is deficit neutral.

Our plan is deficit neutral?

Is that why our US unfunded mandates jumped to $109 Trillion after this passed even with the 4 years of taxes are imposed with no health benifits.

 

[Meister]

But... but.... socialized health care is so much more affordable than that nasty private American system..

TORONTO (Reuters) – Pressured by an aging population and the need to rein in budget deficits, Canada's provinces are taking tough measures to curb healthcare costs, a trend that could erode the principles of the popular state-funded system.

Ontario, Canada's most populous province, kicked off a fierce battle with drug companies and pharmacies when it said earlier this year it would halve generic drug prices and eliminate "incentive fees" to generic drug manufacturers.

British Columbia is replacing block grants to hospitals with fee-for-procedure payments and Quebec has a new flat health tax and a proposal for payments on each medical visit -- an idea that critics say is an illegal user fee.

And a few provinces are also experimenting with private funding for procedures such as hip, knee and cataract surgery.

It's likely just a start as the provinces, responsible for delivering healthcare, cope with the demands of a retiring baby-boom generation. Official figures show that senior citizens will make up 25 percent of the population by 2036.

"There's got to be some change to the status quo whether it happens in three years or 10 years," said Derek Burleton, senior economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank.

"We can't continually see health spending growing above and beyond the growth rate in the economy because, at some point, it means crowding out of all the other government services.

"At some stage we're going to hit a breaking point."

Soaring costs force Canada to reassess health model - Yahoo! News

Hmmmmm. imagine that, but it comes as no suprise to the people that actually use common sense.

 

[California Girl]

From a British member of another board:

The free health care..that is something I do find America needs..but they have Obama now so are the right track to catching up with us.

The British do NOT have 'free health care'.... it is free at the point of delivery. I can only assume that the person who thinks it is 'free' is either unemployed or stupid.

 

[California Girl]

Canada should come down here and see how we do it. Our plan is deficit neutral.

You seriously believe that?

 

[editec]

Doesn't matter how you fund it, the problem is that the price of HC is rising much much faster than the rate of inflation.

It's been doing that now for over three decades so it should hardly surprise any of us that the system is breaking down both here in the States and in Canada, too.

Demand continues to exceed supply, folks.

 

[hortysir]

From a British member of another board:

The free health care..that is something I do find America needs..but they have Obama now so are the right track to catching up with us.

The British do NOT have 'free health care'.... it is free at the point of delivery. I can only assume that the person who thinks it is 'free' is either unemployed or stupid.

I figured you ( at least) would get a chuckle out of the naiveté of that remark!!

 

[Zander]

Well, There is a DAH!! right in their name..... Can-a-dah!!!! Can you say Dah!! "Free" healthcare is bankrupting the provinces.......DAH!!!!!

 

[Old Rocks]

Brilliant Zander. The depths of your intellect are a continual surprise.

 

[Toro]

Simple fact is that health costs are rising across the world faster than GDP growth, so everyone is trying to contain costs, no matter what the system.

Canadians are highly supportive of their system, despite its flaws. However, there will be more private expenditures on healthcare in Canada in the future.

 

[Zander]

Simple fact is that health costs are rising across the world faster than GDP growth, so everyone is trying to contain costs, no matter what the system.

.

Exactly why Government needs to stay out of healthcare. It is your personal responsibility to take care of your own health and health insurance.

 

[Meister]

Simple fact is that health costs are rising across the world faster than GDP growth, so everyone is trying to contain costs, no matter what the system.

Canadians are highly supportive of their system, despite its flaws. However, there will be more private expenditures on healthcare in Canada in the future.

Sounds like at the end of the day UHC just doesn't work, and can bring down entire economies with the debt left behind.....just some food for thought.

 

[KissMy]

New York Times - Data Used to Justify Health Savings Can Be Shaky

In selling the health care overhaul to Congress, the Obama administration cited a once obscure research group at Dartmouth College to claim that it could not only cut billions in wasteful health care spending but make people healthier by doing so.

Wasteful spending — perhaps $700 billion a year — “does nothing to improve patient health but subjects you and me to tests and procedures that aren’t necessary and are potentially harmful,” the president’s budget director, Peter Orszag, wrote in a blog post characteristic of the administration’s argument.

 

[Cecilie1200]

From a British member of another board:

The free health care..that is something I do find America needs..but they have Obama now so are the right track to catching up with us.

The British do NOT have 'free health care'.... it is free at the point of delivery. I can only assume that the person who thinks it is 'free' is either unemployed or stupid.

My husband has a friend from Great Britain who has diabetes. The friend, John, used to keep up a running litany of bitches about how much his diabetic supplies cost him in deductibles under his health insurance, and how much better it was in England, where it was free. Finally, my husband's patience ran out and he pointed out to his friend that when you consider the taxes he used to pay in Great Britain, he's actually spending the same amount on his health care here as he did there. He's just spending it at a different point in the process.

 

[Toro]

Simple fact is that health costs are rising across the world faster than GDP growth, so everyone is trying to contain costs, no matter what the system.

Canadians are highly supportive of their system, despite its flaws. However, there will be more private expenditures on healthcare in Canada in the future.

Sounds like at the end of the day UHC just doesn't work, and can bring down entire economies with the debt left behind.....just some food for thought.

Depends what you mean by "doesn't work." Canadians are generally happy with their healthcare system. The last poll in Canada had 90% of Canadians supportive of universal public healthcare. That's an awful lot of people approving of something that supposedly "doesn't work."

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...ga2SAQ&usg=AFQjCNEBhIhBE8NLLwiIfKVYlAv1RHiQAQ

This is a slightly older poll.

A new poll conducted by the Toronto-based Nanos Research points to overwhelming support — 86.2 percent — for strengthening public health care rather than expanding for-profit services.

“With more than 8 in 10 Canadians supporting public solutions to make public health care stronger, there is compelling evidence that Canadians across all demographics would prefer a public over a for-profit health care system,” said Nik Nanos, president of Nanos Research.

And the reason for that is because Canadians directly compare their system to the American system and prefer their own.

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/august/new_poll_shows_canad.php

 

[Meister]

Simple fact is that health costs are rising across the world faster than GDP growth, so everyone is trying to contain costs, no matter what the system.

Canadians are highly supportive of their system, despite its flaws. However, there will be more private expenditures on healthcare in Canada in the future.

Sounds like at the end of the day UHC just doesn't work, and can bring down entire economies with the debt left behind.....just some food for thought.

Depends what you mean by "doesn't work." Canadians are generally happy with their healthcare system. The last poll in Canada had 90% of Canadians supportive of universal public healthcare. That's an awful lot of people approving of something that supposedly "doesn't work."

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...ga2SAQ&usg=AFQjCNEBhIhBE8NLLwiIfKVYlAv1RHiQAQ

This is a slightly older poll.

A new poll conducted by the Toronto-based Nanos Research points to overwhelming support — 86.2 percent — for strengthening public health care rather than expanding for-profit services.

“With more than 8 in 10 Canadians supporting public solutions to make public health care stronger, there is compelling evidence that Canadians across all demographics would prefer a public over a for-profit health care system,” said Nik Nanos, president of Nanos Research.

And the reason for that is because Canadians directly compare their system to the American system and prefer their own.

New poll shows Canadians overwhelmingly support public health care | Physicians for a National Health Program

I thought I was talking about UHC being deficit neutral, which it isn't....not even in Canada. Can't wait for the outcome with a population of 300 million, not just the 34 million that Canada sports. I will say that it will be a failure with rising debt, rising costs of healthcare and meds.

I wonder how much more Canadians will be taxed to address the rising costs of their healthcare?

 

[Old Rocks]

From a British member of another board:

The British do NOT have 'free health care'.... it is free at the point of delivery. I can only assume that the person who thinks it is 'free' is either unemployed or stupid.

My husband has a friend from Great Britain who has diabetes. The friend, John, used to keep up a running litany of bitches about how much his diabetic supplies cost him in deductibles under his health insurance, and how much better it was in England, where it was free. Finally, my husband's patience ran out and he pointed out to his friend that when you consider the taxes he used to pay in Great Britain, he's actually spending the same amount on his health care here as he did there. He's just spending it at a different point in the process.

Here in America, should the point in that process be when that individual is out of work, with no insurance, he may well get no supplies at all. Yes, you have to pay for your health care, one way or another. But the way we pay is so backward that we pay twice as much as many for a poorer product.