4 ms·

I guess that's why Canadian to US medical tourism is skyrocketing and growing at more than 50% a year, because as you say non-US free healthcare systems provide

by 0xy 4y ago

I guess that's why Canadian to US medical tourism is skyrocketing and growing at more than 50% a year, because as you say non-US free healthcare systems provide care on demand. The question is, why is the Canadian system crumbling so badly that patients flee to the US if it's so perfect?

klyrs 4y ago
There's two big problems with the Canadian system. The first is brain drain; doctors can make way more money in the US. The other is politics. Slashing taxes is a short-term political win, even if it has disastrous long-term consequences. The Canadian system is far from perfect. But nobody can match the waste in the US system.
- 0xy 4y ago
  If the US system was so bad, you would not be seeing rising amounts of medical tourism to the country. Generally, when systems are bad, people flee it by any means necessary. Canadians come to the US because Canadian healthcare quality is garbage, or simply non-existent. Yeah, it's free, but have a rare or advanced cancer and you're on your own. The US has probably the best cancer treatment options in the entire world. It's not free, it's not perfect, but it's available. Canadian, European and other countries love to dunk on US healthcare by posting misleading information and pictures (omg look a $100,000 bill! [insurance pays it all]). Meanwhile, Canadian and Europe have death panels, 24 month waiting lists, no right to try experimental treatment, predatory euthanasia (18 year old has depression? sign here for suicide) and other atrocities.
  - klyrs 4y ago
    The US system is great if you're rich. Most citizens are not. The US system is bad, from the perspective of most of the people accessing it.
  - dredmorbius 4y ago
    Your argument is self-undermining. Those with the means to pay for US healthcare benefit from it. Those without are cut out of the system. Wealthy Canadian medical tourism doesn't any claims that access to US healthcare is highly inequitable. Equivalent medical tourism from the US is often to lower-income nations, most notably Mexico. Searching on "medical tourism", two different lists give top spots to Mexico and, suprising me, Canada. The US is included in neither. #1 Mexico: <https://medtouragency.com/best-countries-for-medical-tourism/ https://medtouragency.com/best-countries-for-medical-tourism...> #1 Canada: <https://www.healthgrades.com/pro/the-top-10-medical-tourism-destinations https://www.healthgrades.com/pro/the-top-10-medical-tourism-...> And a third, also giving #1 to Canada, and excluding the US from the top sixteen. Or, on clicking through to the full report, any of the 46-listed nations. <https://www.medicaltourism.com/mti/home https://www.medicaltourism.com/mti/home>
    - klyrs 4y ago
      A familiar perspective on this startup-focused forum: if there is demand for a product, it must be a good thing.
      - dredmorbius 4y ago
        Heroin must then be excellent. Wants != needs. Markets serve wants, not needs.

by 0xy 4y ago

klyrs 4y ago

There's two big problems with the Canadian system. The first is brain drain; doctors can make way more money in the US. The other is politics. Slashing taxes is a short-term political win, even if it has disastrous long-term consequences. The Canadian system is far from perfect. But nobody can match the waste in the US system.

0xy 4y ago
If the US system was so bad, you would not be seeing rising amounts of medical tourism to the country. Generally, when systems are bad, people flee it by any means necessary. Canadians come to the US because Canadian healthcare quality is garbage, or simply non-existent. Yeah, it's free, but have a rare or advanced cancer and you're on your own. The US has probably the best cancer treatment options in the entire world. It's not free, it's not perfect, but it's available. Canadian, European and other countries love to dunk on US healthcare by posting misleading information and pictures (omg look a $100,000 bill! [insurance pays it all]). Meanwhile, Canadian and Europe have death panels, 24 month waiting lists, no right to try experimental treatment, predatory euthanasia (18 year old has depression? sign here for suicide) and other atrocities.
- klyrs 4y ago
  The US system is great if you're rich. Most citizens are not. The US system is bad, from the perspective of most of the people accessing it.
- dredmorbius 4y ago
  Your argument is self-undermining. Those with the means to pay for US healthcare benefit from it. Those without are cut out of the system. Wealthy Canadian medical tourism doesn't any claims that access to US healthcare is highly inequitable. Equivalent medical tourism from the US is often to lower-income nations, most notably Mexico. Searching on "medical tourism", two different lists give top spots to Mexico and, suprising me, Canada. The US is included in neither. #1 Mexico: <https://medtouragency.com/best-countries-for-medical-tourism/ https://medtouragency.com/best-countries-for-medical-tourism...> #1 Canada: <https://www.healthgrades.com/pro/the-top-10-medical-tourism-destinations https://www.healthgrades.com/pro/the-top-10-medical-tourism-...> And a third, also giving #1 to Canada, and excluding the US from the top sixteen. Or, on clicking through to the full report, any of the 46-listed nations. <https://www.medicaltourism.com/mti/home https://www.medicaltourism.com/mti/home>
  - klyrs 4y ago
    A familiar perspective on this startup-focused forum: if there is demand for a product, it must be a good thing.
    - dredmorbius 4y ago
      Heroin must then be excellent. Wants != needs. Markets serve wants, not needs.