Dr. Wes has a conversation about health care in Canada
Dr. Wes: Once Again, the Airlines Have the Answer
I asked how many defibrillators (they) performed a year and asked who paid for them, and she said the government. “But we got authorization to do five more devices next year,” she said.
“Only five?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yep, and we were lucky. Other centers got fewer. They’re expensive, you know. We have to be very careful about who we select to get one of those. It’s not like America – people here are used to waiting.”
I live in Canada, and while I’m not an administrator who deals with budgets, supplies, and government bureaucracy, but I do have a healthy place within the chaos of reality. I feel that as an ICU nurse in one of the biggest and busiest ICUs in Canada, I at least have some perspective.
Americans would love to have you believe that a Canadian ICU is merely a rickety shack with mud floors and a roof made out of twigs. They assume there’s no windows and the beds are made of straw. Our IV poles are made of cut down trees.
Americans would love to have you think that all our ICU patients (and surgical, cardiac, neuro patients etc.) are dying left and right because of our health care system. “Rationing” is the word used in Dr. Wes’s post.
I have said it before, and I’ll said it again. In Canada, if you need surgery or any type of medical device, you get it. PERIOD. It is a decision between the doctor and the patient. The government doesn’t interfere in the decision making process. It has no say.
As for the defibrillators in the discussion, I have seen many patients sent for one. Usually it’s after some type of cardiac event that landed them in the ICU. A cardiology consult ensues and the decision is made to insert one. A date is selected.
Never once have they had to decide if a patient is “worthy.” Never have they had to choose if the patient should take up one of their precious rationed device. Never has the government called to say, “Sorry, we don’t want to pay for that.” **
No! The patient needs it, the patient gets it.
And please, if my comments are wrong in any way, or if my beliefs about the Canadian healthcare system are inaccurate, please feel free to tell me, and I will gladly eat humble pie. I truly don’t consider myself an expert–simply a staunch defender.
However, please be someone who has experience working within the Canadian healthcare system, and NOT someone campaigning against universal healthcare in the US–because I have become well aware that these people will invent random inaccuracies about our system, simply to make us look bad.
And Dr. Wes, I adore you and your blog, and this has nothing to do with you–you are simply relaying a conversation that you had. I’m just trying to debunk a very common belief about our healthcare system.
**Although, I have heard of insurance companies pulling this in the US
January 21st, 2009 at 10:44
I live in Canada and while I’ve heard all the negative talk about our health care(from Canadians and others) I’ve never,ever witnessed
any of it. I have some 30 odd years as a patient and I’m completely satisifed with our system. I feel lucky and grateful to live here,because of our system,truth be told. No matter what happens to
me,I’ll be taken care of.
January 21st, 2009 at 15:59
Gee, I’ve no idea what this guy’s talking about. I work in a brand new 7 million dollar med-surg-neuro ICU in Toronto. I’ve never seen equipment like this and I was educated in New York City. In addition, I’ve never seen any hospital outside Canada go to the lengths this one does to treat its patients – sometimes too far instead of letting them go – so in terms of treating patients, I’m unaware of any limits at all. Of any kind. Anyone anywhere in the world should be lucky enough to get the kind of care our ICU – hell, our entire hospital network (which incidentally has pioneered several bleeding-edge techniques in organ transplants) – provides its patients.
January 21st, 2009 at 16:56
Thanks Lael and Matt. I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s proud of the Canadian system.
Matt…we’re getting a HUGE new ICU next year…I’m absolutely excited to get into the new digs.
January 21st, 2009 at 21:27
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January 22nd, 2009 at 03:24
I’ve been an MS patient for 11 years and have nothing but praise for the health care I have received from day one. From the doctors through to the cleaning staff of the hospital, it has been a positive experience for me.
I received an MRI on the same day I went to the hospital. I also enrolled in a drug study once I was diagnosed, but since my third year post dx, the provincial government has covered the cost of my MS med. Once a year I am assessed at the MS clinic, but have gone in a few other times for related events.
I have also had a couple of unrelated medical events that were treated efficiently and compassionately. And all of it paid for by the government.
Through a series of fortunate events I have a great team of health professionals checking me out on a regular basis. I am lucky with my workplace to have health coverage for (most) prescriptions and dental health.
I, too, am proud of our system.
S.
January 24th, 2009 at 13:15
Ugh, THANK YOU for posting this! The slander just drives me crazy but I’m, sadly, not eloquent enough to rebel against it. I am a believer in public healthcare!
January 29th, 2009 at 08:02
I work in a US urban med/surg ICU and frankly, I wish we had some sensible ‘rationing’ of care. I just finished a shift where a 91 year old person with history of colon ca (colostomy), wheelchair bound, diabetic, PVD, CAD, chronic renal insuff. and dementia in renal failure, going into resp. failure was intubated, swan’ed, and a quinton cath placed so dialysis could be started because The Family Wants Everything Done.
sweet jesus it was ugly, and all that ugly bought was a few extra days.
January 29th, 2009 at 08:50
@windycity That does sound awful. I wish more doctors had the ability and/or balls to just say “no” to some of these families that insist on torturing their family members. This is certainly an ongoing issue in my ICU as well.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:54
Thank you! I’m an American nursing student who has had on and off health insurance since starting my first college degree in 2000. I always put off going to see someone when something’s wrong because I know I either won’t be able to pay for the tests or treatment they recommend, or I’ll think it’s covered under one program or another and then I end up with a bill or a notice that I’m in collections for a bill I didn’t know about, and then there will be a long battle with a variety of insurance, provider, and government bureaucracies all denying responsibility. It’s only the very wealthy and those who treat the very wealthy who think we have it better than Canada, in my experience. I hope change is coming here!
June 7th, 2009 at 20:46
Thanks for this article. The distortions about the Canadian system that are spread for political purposes are getting tiresome. I am not Canadian but have many Canadian friends, and from them I’ve heard nothing but praise for the health care system.
July 23rd, 2009 at 18:28
This is news to me as I have spoken to many people candians who are my friends about their healthcare system and they all seem to say that the healthcare is great over there?