deadbilly

It's such a complex issue. One problem Canada has with regards to access to care is that there was period of time when entrance requirements to Canadian med schools reached overly restrictive levels so they weren't graduating enough for their needs. Also, their granting of visas or acceptance of the credentials of foreign docs was minimal. You take that fact and the fact that you have around 1 tenth the population spread over a landmass greater than ours (although technically only certain parts are habitable so you can really cut that down) still it creates a situation which does not really parallel to the US. Their problems of lack of access stem as much from shortages as beauracratic inefficiencies. We have different sorts of problems here which I could go on an on about, but the length of this would be too obnoxious.

From what I understand we're not really trying to model ourselves after the Canadian system. I don't have a clear idea of what is to be put ion place yet. What I don't like hearing are suggestions to cut back on existing Medicare and penalizing employers who don't offer insurance as the answer. This presupposes that all businesses are make healthy profits rather than barely eking by and presupposes even being able to get an insurance company to give you a policy. Often very difficult if you're a mom & pop business with an employee who's had some health prior problems to the time the business is being evaluated for a policy. All that will result from this arrangement is that little businesses will have to drop employees because they cannot afford the penalties.