This is from an interview with Jon Cohn that I got Via Ezra Klien:
First, we have to remain committed to the goal of quality affordable care for everyone. If you don’t have that as a core principle, you’ll never get there. That has to be one of those principles that we’d take in to whatever the negotiations are. There are a lot of ways of getting there. Working to lower costs, and being able to improve quality by the changes we make with respect to prevention and chronic care management, will meet a second goal, which is that it has to be affordable. We’re going to have a system to include everybody, but it’s going to be affordable for everybody.
What she says about controlling costs is crucial. It is time to stop treating imaginary diseases, or at least stop forcing other people to pay for the treatment of invented diseases like Restless Leg Syndrome; plus, it would make more sense to focus on prevention, maybe a tax deduction for health club memberships or personal training. Trying to treat every ailment with a dangerous and expensive medications, that generally have severe side effects, not only does not make people healthier it contributes to an expensive health care system that does not work. It looks like Hillary understands this issue and is saying some smart things about it, maybe she is presidential material.
Read the whole discussion here
To lower costs, we should eliminate protectionist subsidies and tariffs. We pay double the world average for sugar, three times the OECD for healthcare, and maybe 5 times for education (the kids in Africa I support get school for about 50 cents per day, vs. NYC where its $100 per day).
If Hillary is serious about reducing healthcare costs, she will eliminate its subdization.
And here is one of her husband’s female friends (prettier than his wife, too), showing why more government control of healthcare is stupid: http://pajamasmedia.com/2007/10/the_rich_and_famous_guide_to_c.php
According to Stronach’s own web site:
“Belinda is an Honourary Member of the Southlake Regional Health Centre Board of Directors and the past Honourary Chair of the Southlake “Nurture the Future” Fundraising Campaign that raised $16.5 million for our local hospital. She has been a strong advocate for bringing a cancer care facility to service the needs of our local community. The Regional Cancer Centre will enable residents to access life-saving diagnostics and therapeutics closer to home, and it will assist in decreasing wait times for certain urgently required services. The Cancer Centre will also help improve the quality of life for many individuals and their families in our community.”
A wonderful addition to not just the area, but to the advancement of cancer treatment in Canada. Wonderful, in theory. Good enough, in theory.
Stronach has been one of Canada’s most controversial politicians of recent memory. She was originally elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Conservative Party of Canada and ran for the leadership of the party in 2004. However the Ontario businesswoman switched to the Liberal Party in 2005. (And I use the term business woman loosely since working for daddy is hardly a job one can get fired from for poor performance. In fact, she announced she was leaving politics this year and heading back to work at her father’s corporation, Magna.) Social scuttlebutt has linked Stronach to Bill Clinton, Peter McKay (current Conservative MP) and as a homewrecker in ex-hockey star Tie Domi’s marriage.
But all seemed to be forgiven in the public’s eye when Stronach was diagnosed with breast cancer which required a mastectomy and breast reconstruction. The very treatable type of cancer (DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ) was thankfully brought under control, but not before Stronach flew to California on the advice of her doctor to receive surgery in June 2007.
Canada’s Health Act is the backbone of the health care system that – in theory – guarantees “free” health care. But there’s no guarantee for when you will receive it, and it’s not actually free. Besides the health premiums which are legislated by the provinces, there’s an untraceable amount of tax dollars coming out of the pockets of Canadians to fund the endless pit of the health care system.
The Canada Health Act also states that no one should pay for a health service in Canada if others get it for free. So no matter how bad you need surgery, no matter how much money you have, you still need to wait in line like the rest of us. So many who have the money to pay, do. In the US. This has lead to a rise in medical tourism that helps link up rich Canadians with American doctors.
But what about politicians who spend their lives giving lip service to the Canada Health Act, only to offer up their wallets when personally affected?
Well, consider Stronach’s 2004 interview with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Carole MacNeil:
Carole Macneil: … let me just ask you the question: how do you feel about a system whereby those who can pay, who can afford to pay, get access to the healthcare system faster than those who can’t?
Belinda Stronach: Well, I think first of all, again, I said we should look at innovative solutions that respect the Canada Health Act and that respect universal access to good quality healthcare. That is the standard, that is the principle, and I think we should allow for the provinces to have the debate so that they can better meet the needs of their citizens. But respecting the principles of the Canada Health Act.
Carole Macneil: Ok, and would having a system whereby if you could afford it you get speedier access, would that respect the principles?
Belinda Stronach: No, that’s a two-tiered health system, which I said I’m not in favour of a two-tiered health system. But I am in favour of the debate that will look at innovative solutions, which will respect the principles of the Canada Health Act, that will deliver a better health care system to Canadians. Canadians know the healthcare system is not working when 40 cents of every dollar spent goes toward healthcare and those costs are increasing anywhere, from 8 – 10% a year, faster than revenues. I don’t have to tell you the fact, to tell you that the healthcare system in its current form will not be there for future generations. So we owe it to Canadians to have that debate, to say how can we now look at providing a better quality healthcare service?
Let me get this straight. Miss Stronach doesn’t support a two-tiered health care system here, as long as she has the US to go to when she needs to access good health care. She’s supportive of the Canada Health Act and thinks we should all support its principles… in theory.
Here’s an idea. How about you let me put my money down when I need to, right here in Canada. How about when my son is having asthma attacks and needs to go to an allergist you let me pay for one in my own city rather than get a referral to a specialist with a 12 month waiting list.
But that would be un-Canadian. It would go against “the principles of the Canada Health Act.” Which is something that is reserved for rich politicians.
I don’t want to interrupt anything, but I just wanted to let you know I’m back, Al. Check out my football picks over at my blog.
Good to hear napoleon –
On Hillary…I’m still of the opinion that she’s full of shit and won’t make good decisions if elected. She and Edwards both voted for the war…I honestly like Edwards more for his platform than any of the other candidates, but Obama is the one I think could make the largest impact.
Hey Napoleon:
How about the Rockies? I don’t think anyone, accept for maybe Al saw that one coming.
Yeah, Al said earlier in the season that the Rockies were for real, but I didn’t believe it. This has been a fantastic run, and I sure hope it continues.
My feeling now is that Arizona is a more complete team, especially in the bullpen. If Colorado can hit against Arizona’s starters, they’ll have a great chance to win. Easier said than done.
Even the Red Sox, if we went up against Arizona in the World Series, I’d be nervous. The best thing(s) about Colorado right now, is there’s no soft spots in the lineup – AND – their defense, especially in the infield, is supurb.
napoleon – when the Rockies came to Fenway, I could see what had changed from the team a couple years ago. When I saw them play in Colorado, they had a journeyman shortstop (Royce Clayton), and one of their best hitters was Aaron Miles. There wasn’t enough home grown talent on the roster, especially in the starting rotation. I mentioned Jason Jennings earlier, but like most Rockies starters (unfortunately), once they are able to hit free agency, there isn’t an agent worth a damn that will argue they stay pitching in thin air.
The way to counter that, is to create a perenial contender from the bottom up, through the farm system, so that players don’t want to leave. When I was in Colorado, it was obvious that they weren’t even close to that. This year though, my god…about half the roster came up through the farm system and they’re good players.
I mentioned to a guy I spoke with out where you live a couple years ago, about how the Rockies needed to mimick the Minnesotta model, embrace who they are and coach the same from the bigs down to the single A teams. I think they’re doing that now.
Pats 2nd half – – – –
More evidence of the ugly realities of socialized care:
Some English people have resorted to pulling out their own teeth because they cannot find — or cannot afford — a dentist, a major study has revealed.
England has a two-tier dental care system with some dentists offering publicly subsidized treatment through the National Health Service and others performing more expensive private work.
But more than three-quarters of those polled said they had been forced to pay for private treatment because they had been unable to find an NHS dentist. Almost a fifth said they had refused dental treatment because of the cost.
One respondent in Lancashire, northern England, claimed to have extracted 14 of their own teeth with a pair of pliers. In Liverpool, one of those collecting data for the survey interviewed three people who had pulled out their own teeth in one morning.
“I took most of my teeth out in the shed with pliers. I have one to go,” another respondent wrote.
Others said they had fixed broken crowns using glue to avoid costly dental work.
Valerie Halsworth, 64, told British television’s GMTV she had removed seven of her own teeth using her husband’s pliers when her toothache became unbearable and she was unable to find an NHS dentist willing to treat her.
Halsworth admitted that the first extraction had been “excruciatingly painful.” But she added: “It got that painful that I just had to do something… When you have taken a tooth out… the pain has gone.”
Sharon Grant, chair of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, which commissioned the survey, said: “These findings indicate that the NHS dental system is letting
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/10/15/england.dentists/index.html