I am seriously hoping that Mr. Harper and his group do not contemplate anything hasty or rash with respect to any changes in our healthcare system. The only tampering required is more money to bring the system up to scratch.
Canadians spend approximately 9.5% of GDP on healthcare, while the Americans, with their multi-payer system spend about 15% of GDP on healthcare and yet they still have more than 45 million citizens without any insurance.
A recent poll in the United States shows that more than 70% of ordinary Americans would like to have the Canadian system.
Back in 1994, Jack Smith, a former CEO of General Motors went on record as “personally favor[ing] the Canadian system.” Smith, an anomaly ten years ago, today looks like the weatherman who knew which way the wind was blowing. The volume and intensity of anguished, bitter public complaints by business executives about the costs and burdens of health care has grown to major proportions.
Wow. That’s surprising.
I’m of two minds about this. If the power people with all the money are pushing for it, is that going to be good for a country in the end? I mean, they’re always looking for corporate tax cuts. If they get a single payer system, will part of the ‘deal’ be even further reduced corporate taxes?
Their motivation worries me. What do you think?
hi carrie
yes it will be good for the healthcare system and for the country as long as it remains universal and single-payer i.e. government. On those two main points there can be no compromise.
their motivation is primarily to make healthcare affordable for their companies and for their workers and the only way to do that is with the Canadian system.
this is something we have to get through to Harper and his people. They need to be reminded daily, even hourly that we as Canadians will not tolerate any watering down of our system as prescribed by the Supreme Court of Canada.
The Supreme Court and Harper and Klein and these people worry me a great deal more than private corporations, which want to support public healthcare because it’s more efficient and more affordable.
Canadian Healthcare Is In Danger, but not from companies which support the single-payer, universal system we have now.
I agree. I just worry about the fact that the people with money (Magna) use their resources to influence government. I am very worried for our healthcare system too. I just wish they cared about it for the sake of Canadians instead of because it’s good for business. Either way, whatever we can do to save it is a must.