Quote:
Originally Posted by Verencat
All types of medication is far cheaper here, but the medical system in place right now is not large enough to suffice the demand. You go to an emergency and wait twelve hours to be told you need an appointment with a specialist, but that specialist will only see you in two months, and by then, you are either dead or don't care anymore. Even worse, in Québec there was a rule (that was dismissed years ago but is still unofficially applied) saying that patients will mental issues could only be seen in their living area, but since often people having those issues are poor and live in poor neighborhood, the hospitals get overcrowded. In my specific area, the delay is three months to see a psychiatrist. A person with suicidal tendencies needs far less then that to commit an irreparable act.
Anyhow, all this to say that I think a free medical system is a right, but such a system needs to be really well organize to be functional and appealing.
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well VC pretty much hit the nail on the head. having lived in WA state for about a dozen years and watching all the Canadians coming over for actually fairly critical care, but like VC said, they couldn't get in without a long wait... well that's a bit scary. also I listened to a report not long ago about a mahority of the critical care pregnancies being sent to the US due to lack of bedspace.
now the drugs.... well yep, they are cheaper in Canada, and as most folks that travel know, the US is like the Church Lady as far as approving stuff with a little more punch than we already have. it's quite common for people to be crossing the border with all sorts of pharmaceuticals