thank you Aine, Peter, Michael and David! -------------- Original message -------------- From: AINE SUTTLE <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> I live in Toronto, Canada. I immigrated here in 1969 > from Ireland. I moved back there from 97 to 2003, so > got more recent experience of that system. I have > friends from the US who have given me a perspective on > that system. Between the three I prefer the Canadian > system. > > There have been various commissions on the Canadian > healthcare system over the years. One of the most > comprehensive was the " Commission on the Future of > Health Care in Canada (Romanow Commission, 2001 to > 2002), which is available at: > http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/com/fed/index_e.html > > It has been some time since I read it but it does have > information comparing the Canadian system with the US > and others. I seem to remember that there was very > useful comparisons on the costs which showed that the > universal model in Canada is cheaper that the US two > tiered model. > > This list has given me a sense of the amount of time > that OTs and other health professionals in the US > spend trying to figure out how to get funding to > provide treatment, or figuring out the rules and > regulations around funding. We have some funding > challenges but nothing like you have in the US. > > I work in mental health, on an ACT team. I think > that the whole system of mental health is underfunded > in Ontario, especially for client with chronic > psychotic illnesses. But when I read Pete Earley's > book "Crazy", I got some perspective on the US system. > I thought that his son's experience of trying to get > help in the US was pretty similar to our system, but > in Canada we don't have insurance companies dictating > length of stay in hospital. > > We have the same problem of too many mentally ill > clients ending up in the jail system. But again, I > don't think it is quite as bad as that jail in Florida > that he profiled. In fact, sometimes, it is a relief > when our dual diagnosis clients, (psychotic illness > and crack addiction) spend a short time in jail as > they are usually detained in the medical section, > where they are given medical help getting off crack. > Of course they go back on crack as soon as they get > out, but that is another issue. > > A major problem in both Canada and the US in terms of > getting treatment for psychotic clients is the "rights > legislation" which allows clients who are psychotic to > refuse treatment, as long as they are not a threat to > themselves or others. This was so clearly shown in > the US documentary by Susan Smiley "Out of the > Shadow", which shows her family struggle to get > treatment for their mother. > > In my six recent years in Ireland I found there were > more barriers to getting preventive healthcare without > supplementary health insurance. People who do not > have extra health insurance can wait for years for > some proceedures in Ireland, but rarely die for lack > of treatment. I made friends with an Irish woman who > was an American citizen but had to return to Ireland > when she got cancer. She had no health insurance and > would have died as she could not afford the treatment. > She has remained cancer free to date. > > Shortly after I returned to Canada, my husband almost > died and ended up in ICU where he got fantastic care. > He was unconscious for six days, so I got to talk with > his nurses during that time. One of them told me that > the daily cost of treating a client in ICU was $10,000 > Can. I was shocked. I was already stressed and the > idea of incurring a $60,000 Can. debt that we could > not pay would have been intolerable. One of my US > friends who stayed with me for one of the six days, > told me how her father lost his business and home when > he was unable to pay medical bills (in the US). > > Regards, > > Aine Suttle. > > --- Elayne Haley-Ververis wrote: > > > Please keep writing on this topic! I'm an American > > and an OT student. I live in Nashville, TN, which > > is largely George Bush/right wing country. I > > desperately want to see universal healthcare of some > > type - any type, at this point - in the United > > States. > > > > Michael, you are so right in that universal care is > > more humane - to say the least. > > I've been in both "lucky" and "unlucky" situations > > here as far as the ability to receive healthcare. > > > > For example, I was married to a cardiologist for > > years which entitled me to not only excellent > > healthcare, but "professional courtesy" to boot. > > Once divorced (with three kids), I could not buy > > health insurance. I was out of the work force for > > 15 years (its incredibly hard to maintain employment > > when your spouse works 70 hours a week. Also we > > relocated after residency and then after fellowship, > > away from family, etc). > > I couldn't even buy it despite having enough money! > > I had become depressed over the divorce and took > > medication for two years and so became ineligible. > > Depression - along with everything else - is > > considered a "pre-existing condition" and so tough > > luck. > > > > Now I'm a student and can buy student insurance, but > > its not very good. It only covers up to $10,000 and > > after that I'm on my own. Believe me, $10,000 would > > not go far here in the US. > > > > My story would not get much sympathy here where over > > 40 million people are without health insurance...... > > many of whom are seriously ill and unable to buy > > needed medication. So I'm not complaining! I'm > > only telling my story because many people (here in > > the US, anyway) think that the uninsured are simply > > too lazy to get a job. Not true. > > > > So....I would love to hear what you in Canada have > > to say about universal healthcare. The general view > > here among those against it is that universal > > healthcare means substandard health care. > > -- > > Options? > > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > > > Archive? > > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > > > -- > Options? > www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com > > Archive? > www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
