Thanks, Yeahbut. Much appreciated. Hope all is well.

Faith, I'm not saying the Canadian system is perfect. I just think we'd be better off with a universal system and see if American ingenuity can make a better system than the one we have. If we can put a dune buggy on the landscape of Mars and control it with a Nintendo controller here on earth, we can create a workable universal system that is better than what we have now.

I'm very torn because I think we probably could come up with a good system here, heck we are already providing free health care to many anyway. Unfortunately its largely the working poor that is taking the hit as usual.

I guess my big concern is like you said with your Mom's treatment. When I was first diagnosed I wasn't particularily thrilled with the information I got from the regular neuro, eg. insisting a spinal tap was necessary despite the fact that I was already diagnosed. I made my own appointment with a specialist. Personally I like the security of knowing that I can tell BC/BS to shove it and just write the check for a specialist or second opinion if necessary.

I thought it was you - you'll find a lot of people here at NT agree with your politics - although there are some of us who don't - there used to be a discussion group which you would have loved - perhaps it's still around -

Yeah, Strk, I agree with you. As I said, I really do support the concept of a universal health care system. I'm hoping the U.S. can come up with a system that is better than current hodge podge we have in the U.S., and yet, avoids some of the pitfalls of the Canadian system.

I believe that if it's a priority, it can be done.

~ Faith

Yeah. Thanks for your comments, Jules.

When I first moved here, I would have been a big proponent of the Canadian system. But, after being here, I can see that a system that includes some of the strengths of both systems, and avoids some of the pitfalls of each, would be the best.

~ Faith

Welcome over to this side of the pool Strk3. Glad you found us.

Is this the deep end or the shallow end?

Hiya Strk3, I'd recognize that name anywhere - about time you showed up here.

We can do that too, Jules . . . choose whatever specialist we want, and we don't pay anything, EVER.

(Not saying the system is perfect, just answering to this one point ...)

Cherie

Thanks for the clarification, Cherie. It's an important one. I guess there are often misconceptions about the supposed strengths and weaknesses of other health care systems (which makes the dialogue even harder)

I'm a big proponent of universal health care. There is no perfect system of course but what the US has now is inequitable, inefficient and expensive.