Mental Health: Is the following excerpt about Canadian healthcare accurate?

Is the following excerpt about Canadian healthcare accurate?'As a neighboring country, the U.S. health system is often compared to Canada's. While the country's system is not as highly rated as many in Europe, it still produces better results than the United States, according to research by the Commonwealth Fund and others. On the measure of average life expectancy, Canadians live 80.2 years compared to 77.8 years in the United States. Access to care is also not a problem.

"Canada has a couple of things that clearly are better than the U.S.," says Dr. Robert Ouellet, president of the Canadian Medical Association. "It has coverage for the entire population."

Contrary to popular understanding, Canada has a single-payer rather than a federal system. The government pays for all of the care from a single fund, but uses private doctors to administer care. Patients can choose where, and from whom, they get their care. Each province and territory has differences in their respective systems, but the national government oversees and regulates each.

Canada publicly funds 70 percent of care through national income and employer and payroll taxes; the remaining 30 percent is covered privately through insurance companies. Health care spending is much lower than in the United States, having accounted for 9.9 percent of Canada's GDP in 2004.

The Canadian system covers services such as primary care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Psychiatric services are covered, but services outside hospitals or community-based mental health clinics are usually not. Chiropractic services and alternative medicine are covered in some cases.

Dental and vision care are not included and are covered through private insurance.

Critics of the Canadian system cite long waits for care, including elective procedures such as knee replacements. Patients may, at worst, have to wait months to be seen. Those who disparage the system joke that Canadians "die in line waiting for care," as Ouellet puts it. But if conditions worsen, or a patient needs immediate care, such as emergency room care, patients can be seen much sooner.'

http://www.amsa.org/tnp/articles/article.cfx?id=471

Answer by kevinsnatchatori
Canadians are to busy being healthy to even care about our problems...

Answer by Eric S
I think the Canadians healthcare system is rather good unless you demand a level of care that at your expense would hinder the level of care to everyone else. I suppose critics of Canada's health system would be people in the USA wealthy enough to afford a level of coverage not feasible for an entire population to be granted.

Answer by scottso360
http://www.amsa.org/tnp/articles/article.cfx?id=471

looks like repubs are lying again.

Answer by Buttcrack Bobby
idk i need points bye

my mom luvs u

Answer by Jagermann
There are more unhealthy and obese Americans, hence we die younger on average. Dr. Robert Ouellet's comments are preposterous. The United States offers medical coverage to the whole population, simply many people do not want to pay for it. That is their choice. There are already government programs for those who cannot afford health care in the United States.

Canadians do have long waits before they can get any medical attention. I wouldn't say Canada's health care is cheap. Canadians have a nearly 50% income tax. Socialism really stinks. I think Canada is beautiful, but I would never move their because of their screwed up government system. Sorry Canada :-(

What do you think? Answer below! Access information and advice on a wide range of mental health issues including conditions and disorders including stress and depression, therapy

Hi,I did the following:

---

Orignal From: Mental Health: Is the following excerpt about Canadian healthcare accurate?