So last night, when I was enjoying a nice episode of Gossip Girl, my sister comes in my room and tells me that American now have free healthcare. So what do I think about it? I think change has finally come. Good for the American but bad for Canadians. As I talked to some of my American friends I realized either they love it or really hate it. If they hate it, it is only because taxes are going to go up. The economy is going to gain more deficits. Over all not pleased with Obama. They don’t seem to care about the well-being of the poor. It just shows how ignorant a community can be.
As you may already know or not know, US is only developed country in the world that does not have any free healthcare. All developed countries have adopted a universal healthcare system after WWII, around the 1946 (same time as Canada). In England, right after war when both the economically and physically devastated, the country adopted the National Health Service. Why? Because healthy nation will equal to a nation willing to work. It is one less thing people have to worry about. But still I mean the most powerful country in the world has people dieing because they can’t afford to go to the doctor.
Canada faced the same criticism when universal health care act was approved. In 1946, Tommy Douglas' Co-operative Commonwealth Federation government in Saskatchewan passed the Saskatchewan Hospitalization Act, which guaranteed free hospital care for much of the population. One man did actually change the Canadian healthcare system. It was one thing that made Canada BETTER than the U.S.
What affect the new free-healthcare in US may have on the Canadian health-care system? MANY. I remember 4 years ago, there were a lot of talks about starting to privatize the Canadian healthcare system. It was when our current Conservative government came into power. It was the hot topic in my Health Studies classes. But as soon as the US candidacy round began, the whole notion of privatizing the Canadian healthcare disappeared.
Why you ask? Because, we, “the neighbors up in the north” became a prime example in the both Clinton’s and Obama’s speech. I think for the first time, the US wanted to be more like Canada.
If the US adopts the Canadian healthcare system structure, it is time that our healthcare structure should make some changes. If you have taken any Canadian health policy classes, you will learn that Canada have amazing ideas on how to make healthcare system better. But we never end up adopting them. It is being adopted by UK. The only reason why the Canadian Health Minister was too scared to implement their own ideas because it will jeopardize our relationship with the US (when Bush was in power). Because the changes in the healthcare system would mean less privatizing and more government control. We did not change our healthcare system and instead delisted many services so we become more like America but yet have some Canadian values (60% is being subsidized by the government).
But now, we see that the American wants to be more like us. It’s time the Canadian healthcare system adopts its own ideas and become more like UK’s healthcare system. It means our taxes may also go up. But hey, it will better for the whole nation. It means free eye-check up and dental!
Overall my view on this topic one thing that made us different from the Americans is now not there anymore. BUT we still have hockey and maple syrup. LOVE CANADA.
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