Private Medicine in Canada
A Short Course in Brain Surgery highlights the plight of an Ontario man with a cancerous brain tumor who crossed the border to the U.S. to get the medical care that is rationed in his home country. He was helped by a Canadian company called Timely Medical Alternatives. It was founded in 2003 as Canada’s first facilitator of private pay medical services and diagnostic imaging.
According to many, Canada has one of the best health care systems in the world. That’s great, but in addition to being free, the other distinguishing feature of Canadian public healthcare is that there are long waiting lists for nearly every diagnostic procedure and surgery. There are nearly a million Canadians currently on waiting lists for referrals to specialists or for medical procedures. Every year, unfortunately, scores die while waiting.
Just look at these wait times:
Timely Medical Alternatives helps Canadians to “Leave the queue” and take personal responsibility for their own private medical services. Since 2003 they’ve helped Canadians obtain second medical opinions, MRI’s / CT scans / PET scans (within days) and surgery (within weeks) in Canada and the United States. They bring their clients together with private medical services and clinics which can provide the needed services in a timely manner.
Toby on February 18th, 2008 1:04 pm
Simply reverse the situation for those in the US who cannot afford medical insurance. Same problem – different social class affected. I do not even offer a solution because there is not one given our economic structures. Politicians and other interested power centers jocky for position while those who pay suffer and wait.
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