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Collection of Letters

6 December 2004

 

Examining Healthcare: A Comparison between the United States and Canadian Systems

By Marilyn Galindo and Kimberlee Collins

 

 

 

 

 

                This collection of fictional correspondences between medical professionals illustrates a few key points in the debate between the American and Canadian healthcare systems. 

 

 

 

 

 

Letter One

Dear Dr. Pain,

                Currently, there are about 40 million United States citizens without any type of medical insurance.  This number is staggering for such a well developed country like the United States. Although every year politicians promise to make reforms to the United States healthcare system, little progress is ever made.

                I think that it is time that the United States completely restructures the healthcare system.  The new healthcare system should be modeled after Canada’s.  Canada has established a universal healthcare insurance system.  It is the most effective system of its type in the world.  Under this system every citizen is guaranteed free healthcare and the freedom to choose their physician.

                As of result of this free healthcare system, Canada has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world. According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, the average Canadian is expected to live about 79.3 years.  On the other hand, the average America is expected to live about 77 years.  Statistics also show that the percentage of government revenues spent on health insurance in Canada is less than in the United States.  The United States spends about 17.6 percent while only 16.2 percent of the revenue goes to healthcare in Canada.  All these statistics prove that by providing healthcare to everyone life expectancies increase and also that it is not necessary to spend that much money on healthcare. 

I really think that the United States should establish a new healthcare system.  It is time that every citizen of this country has healthcare regardless of their financial situation.

                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                                Knot S.O. Well, MD

 


Letter 2

 

Too Good to be True: The Flaws of Universal Health Care

 

Dear Dr. Well,

 

                An all too common misconception exists that Canadian socialized health care is vastly superior to the United States system of privatized insurance.  Canada pioneered universal public healthcare in the 1960s.  In principle, government funded health insurance in which every citizen’s health care needs are met, seems almost too good to be true.  Realistically, Canada’s system does not suit all its citizens’ health care needs.

                Firstly, not all major medical services are covered under Canada’s Medicare.  These include pharmaceuticals, dentistry and home care.  The increased use of pharmaceuticals as treatments coupled with the rising costs of prescription drugs adds to the financial burden of Canadian families.  Dentist bills can also pose a significant financial burden, as can the costs of home care for the elderly and the disabled.  Consequentially, many Canadians purchase privatized insurance to meet their needs anyway.

                Secondly, time spent waiting for medical care results in perhaps the most vocal protests against the Canadian system.  The problem stems from the fact that the profits of health care providers are not affected by patient satisfaction.  Patients are not customers, so they have no influence.  The result is often indefinite waits in line for services.

                   Thirdly, limited funding has lead to drawbacks for both doctors and patients.  Doctor’s salaries are lower than comparable physicians in the US.  Also, the doctor to population ratio is low; only 2.1 practicing physicians for every 1000 in the population in 1996.  Furthermore, Canadians’ access to progressive medical technologies as compared to US citizens is inferior.  All of these can be attributed to limited funding.

                These are only a few of the major problems facing the Canadian model of socialized health care.  Even considering these few examples it is clear that the Canadian system does not meet the needs of the people.

Sincerely,

Lots O. Pain, M.D.

 


Letter Three

Dear Dr. Pain,

Well, I must admit that the Canadian system is not perfect.  There are some flaws in the system such as not everything being covered by the universal insurance, longer waiting periods, and drawbacks caused by limited funding.  However, despite these flaws I still believe that it is better to have everyone insured rather than just a few.  In the current American system, issues such as lack of insurance for a large portion of the population and lack of coverage for pharmaceuticals have caused greater problems in the United States than Canada.

For instance, most of the working class in the United States is uninsured.  They make to much money to be covered by Medicaid or Medicare.  However, they do not make enough money to pay for private insurance.  Therefore, approximately 40 million individuals have to suffer the consequences of living in a free-market economy without any type of medical insurance to protect their families’ well-being. 

Another major problem with the United States healthcare system is lack of coverage for pharmaceuticals. This is caused by the high price of medication in the United States.  The United States does not regulate the price of pharmaceuticals.  Therefore, pharmaceutical companies are allowed to raise the prices as much as they want.  So even if you have insurance, you might not be able to afford the medication necessary to cure your disease. 

                Overall, I think that the Canadian system with its imperfections is still more effective than the United States system.  I would much rather wait a couple a days for medical treatment than not get any at all simply because I cannot afford it.

                                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                Knot S.O. Well

 


Letter 4

 

The Value of Quality: A Positive Outlook on American Healthcare

 

Dear Dr. Well,

                You raise some good points, which I will now address.

                It is true that not everyone in the United Stated has medical coverage, but even uninsured individuals can receive hospital care.  I agree that the American system needs refining to increase the amount of citizens with health insurance, because the financial burden on such individuals can indeed be substantial.  Nevertheless, Government programs do exist to aid some needy Americans.  Medicare cuts health-related costs for citizens over 65, and similarly Medicaid helps the disabled.

                Individuals in the United States may spend more on the average than Canadians for healthcare, but the quality of care is superior.  The free market leads to higher salaries for doctors and better service for patients.  High salaries attract bright students to the medical field.  Patients are treated like customers, so time spent waiting for care is less.  Better funding brings in superior medical technologies.  All these improve the quality of patient care received in the United States.

                Overall, the importance of quality must not be ignored.  Having government-funded health insurance does the patient no good if they cannot receive the care they need.

                Doubtless neither Canada nor the United States has a flawless healthcare system.  The best system may be some combination of the two, in which every citizen has access to quality healthcare.  This notion, while ideal, does not seem to be practical due to cost.  Hence, I personally believe that quality care, which arises from the higher funding generated by a free market economy, renders American healthcare superior.

Sincerely,

Lots O. Pain, M.D.
Works Cited

 

 

1.        Crowley, Brian Lee. “The Top Ten Things People Believe About Canadian Health

Care, But Shouldn't.” Nov. 2004 Heritage Lecture #856 29 Nov. 2004 < http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/hl856.cfm>.

2.        “Healthcare System: Canadian and American healthcare systems compared.” Nov.                       2004 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 29 Nov. 2004          <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_system>.                                   

 

3.        Crowley, Brian Lee. “The Top Ten Things People Believe About Canadian Health

Care, But Shouldn't.” Nov. 2004 Heritage Lecture #856 29 Nov. 2004 < http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/hl856.cfm>.

4.        “Healthcare System: Canadian and American healthcare systems compared.” Nov.                       2004 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 29 Nov. 2004          <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_system>.                                   

 

 


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