The Canadian health care system works better than the US system

As a normally polite Canadian, I am royally ticked off and I’m gonna have to deliver a rant. (Sorry).

I am thoroughly fed up with uninformed American (and Russian) trolls loosely flinging unsubstantiated and factually incorrect statements about the Canadian health care system all over the InterWeb, just because they have a political axe to grind. So let me give it to you straight, in ALL CAPS because that seems to be the only way some folks might take notice:

THE CANADIAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WORKS.

Is it perfect? No. No system is ever perfect. But here’s another point: 

NO CANADIAN EVER WENT BANKRUPT BECAUSE OF A HEALTH CARE ISSUE. 

In the US there is some argument about the exact number, because most people who declare bankruptcy have multiple sources of debt, but one study suggested that medical expenses or loss of work related to illness contributed to 65% of all bankruptcies in the US last year. (Click here and here.) That’s 65% of 750,489 bankruptcies, or just under 500,000 cases in 2018. And yes, I am quoting the Washington Post, which some may say is fake news, mainly because the article is critical of Bernie’s loose throwing around of facts, but hey! At least I am providing a source for my information, unlike the trolls. Get the facts first, then you can argue.

So what makes me an expert, you ask? Sadly, personal experience. My wife, may she rest in peace, required multiple back surgeries to insert two steel rods to support her spine, which was collapsing due to advanced scoliosis. Later in life she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, which required 2 years of chemo and radio therapy as well as several surgeries. Cost to us: Nada. Zip. ZEE-RO. OK, I may have paid for parking at the hospital now and then. But it didn’t prevent us from paying the mortgage or sending the kids to school. (Now there’s a topic for another rant.)

Yes, the cancer killed her. (Six years ago this week, thanks for asking). But this outcome is no reflection on the quality of the care; it is my understanding that American women are also dying of breast cancer. Give me a minute and I’ll dig up comparative stats on that, too, if you are too dense or stupid or unwilling to do so yourself. 

So if you have an opinion but don’t know WTF you are talking about, you have a few options. You can use the Internet or other public sources to obtain some facts, and accept that these facts may change your opinion. You can blather on regardless, revealing yourself to be a troll who will regurgitate just about anything fed to you if it meets your prejudices.

Or you can STFU. May I politely suggest that STFU is a reasonable first step. 

OK, the rant is over. I feel better now. (Sorry about that). 

UPDATE 2020-03-16: An American friend reposted this on his Facebook page, which led to sometimes heated debate over something like 100 posts... I might clean it up and remove names and copy it here. Stay tuned!