Happy to learn but let’s not forget Norway has 5 mill folks, Sweden 9 mill , Finland and Denmark less. There are cities here that have more people then these countries. We have 340 mill folks here with many more coming in every day.
I have looked into, a number of countries…to either retire in full time or during the winter. All had both a public health care option…as well as private care and private insurance. In fact, I have argued on this forum…for a Medicare for All package…where private insurance companies, get paid by the government - to manage the insurance. Like they do now, with Medicare Advantage Plans. And there is a cap, on what individual has to spend - within one year.
Which countries and what was your opinion of them?
Chiefly Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain; Portugal. Also others. But these are the main ones. All have great hospitals, doctors and medical plans. And great retirement incentives for Expats. And I am on forums, where expats living there - talk about life there. And all have both public and private medical insurance and care facilities. And it’s much more cost effective and cheaper, than the US. And you don’t sacrifice quality. The pace of life there, is much slower - which suits me just fine.
The case with your mother is anecdotal, too.
We have “socialized medicine” here in Ontario. I have had two prostate surgeries, and several colonoscopies including the removal of a cyst that could have turned to cancer. I had no problems at all with how I was treated—and I didn’t pay a cent.
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“Let’s not forget… we have 340 mill folks here.”
It sounds like you think America is hopelessly unable to compete with what smaller nations achieve. I’d think that in capitalism, greater volume provides economies of scale that would allow us to secure far better prices from suppliers than smaller nations. The litany that Americans can not do what other nations are able to do seems a bit unpatriotic to me.
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People everywhere complain. Your anecdote comes across to me as if I should ignore my eyes and ears in volumes of experience with Canada’s system because you heard one disgruntled person. As a pastor, I’ve heard thousands of Americans complain about wait times and lack of quality in our system, to say nothing of bankrupting costs. It’s evident to me that there is no comparison with the results, nor the levels of satisfaction in the two nations.
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You added quite a bit to what i said but my point was that a system that works for 9 mill may not translate well to 340 mill. But then again it may translate well , i simply was pointing out we need to be aware of the distinction. The point you made is good which was that economies of scale may work in our favor. Litany? unpatriotic? I don’t know why you use words like these which at best are unproductive particularly after i said i’m not against a mixed system.
Thanks, i would have guessed Costa Rica & Spain and Portugal but not Mexico or Panama.
That’s great to hear, brother. I’m pleased (sincerely) that part of the taxes I pay here in Alberta were put to good use in Ontario. Alberta has been funnelling cash to Ontario, Quebec and the helpless Atlantic provinces for decades. Not that I mind, but it wouldn’t hurt to receive some thanks.
Panama is great in Mountain areas, like Boquette. And it’s near David, their second largest city. Mexico has a few suitable places. Some near the beach and some far away from beach areas. Of course, one should be able - to speak the lingo - at least elementary.
You’re right, you didn’t deserve that. It’s prompted by my wider frustration that it seems that on every issue where I suggest that we might learn something from other nations experiments with a different approach, it is dismissed by those who say Americans are unable to be that successful or efficient, often because we are a large nation. And I am reluctant to assume that we are not greater than that.
But we are the same as all people. We need the same things… only on a slightly larger scale.
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I agree. We need the right leader, to bring things on a larger scale - to us all!
Thanks for your response. I agree it’s worthwhile to consider what systems other nations use but we do have a different history, that being European countries always have had strong centralized governments whereas the US was founded on freedom from that and a country based on limited government. However I understand medical insurance may very well be different then other economic sectors so I have evolved to accepting a Medicare/Private Insurance option as inevitable.
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I’ve never heard about that before. On what grounds are they doing that funneling?
According to the most recent numbers from Statistics Canada, Albertans sent $49 billion worth of taxes to Ottawa in 2016, but only received $27.2 billion back in the form of federal spending.
This equates to a “gap” of $21.8 billion. On average, it means that, in 2016, every Albertan paid $5,265 more into Confederation than they get back.
Admittedly this is over two years old. But the transfer, a.k.a. money grab has been going on for 50 years and it is still happening.
Is the reason for that because Albertans in general have (on the average) much higher incomes than those in other provinces?
This BBC article from today, captivated my attention!
Let me quote a bit!
From so-called zombie rumours - viral online stories that refuse to die - to the difference between misinformation and fake news, much of the talk at TED 2019 has been about the need to improve online conversation.
Well, I sincerely hope the Internet and Social Media (i.e. this forum)…can help spread my theory…that Z-Hell (1, 2, 3) is the most probable, end-times tribulation scenario.
And I’m 100% behind ALL efforts, to improve online communication and eliminate fake news!
Check out the date of the article - 1989 