another reason I love the US system...........

Canada's Expectant Moms Heading to U.S. to Deliver

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Mothers in British Columbia are having a baby boom, but it's the United States that has to deliver, and that has some proud Canadians blasting their highly touted government healthcare system.

"I'm a born-bred Canadian, as well as my daughter and son, and I'm ashamed," Jill Irvine told FOX News. Irvine's daughter, Carri Ash, is one of at least 40 mothers or their babies who've been airlifted from British Columbia to the U.S. this year because Canadian hospitals didn't have room for the preemies in their neonatal units.

"It's a big number and bigger than the previous capacity of the system to deal with it," said Adrian Dix, a British Columbia legislator, told FOXNews.com. "So when that happens, you can't have a waiting list for a mother having the baby. She just has the baby."

The mothers have been flown to hospitals in Seattle, Everett, Wash., and Spokane, Wash., to receive treatment, as well as hospitals in the neighboring province of Alberta, Dix said. Three mothers were airlifted in the first weekend of October alone, including Carri Ash.

"I just want to go home and see my kids," she said from her Seattle hospital bed. "I think it's stupid I have to be here."

Canada's socialized health care system, hailed as a model by Michael Moore in his documentary, "Sicko," is hurting, government officials admit, citing not enough money for more equipment and staff to handle high risk births.

Sarah Plank, a spokeswoman for the British Columbia Ministry of Health, said a spike in high risk and premature births coupled with the lack of trained nurses prompted the surge in mothers heading across the border for better care.

"The number of transfers in previous years has been quite low," Plank told FOXNews.com. "Before this recent spike we went for more than a year with no transfers to the U.S., so this is something that is happening in other provinces as well."

Critics say these border crossings highlight the dangers of a government-run health care system.

"The Canadian healthcare system has used the United States as a safety net for years," said Michael Turner of the Cato Institute. "In fact, overall about one out of every seven Canadian physicians sends someone to the United States every year for treatment."

Neonatal intensive care units in Alberta and Ontario have also been stretched to capacity, she said.

The cost of these airlifts and treatments, paid to U.S. hospitals by the province under Canada's universal health care system, runs upwards of $1,000 a child.

"We clearly want to see more capacity built in the Canadian system because it’s also expensive for taxpayers here to send people out of the country," Dix said.

The surge could be due to women giving birth later in life, and passport restrictions and family separation adds to the stress.

"I think it’s reasonable to think that this is a trend that would continue and we have to prepare for it and increase the number of beds to deal with perhaps the new reality of the number of premature babies and newborns needing a higher level of care in Canada," Dix said.

British Columbia has added more neonatal beds and increased funding for specialized nurse training, Plank said.

"There is an identified need for some additional capacity just due to population growth and that sort of thing and that is actively being implemented," she said.

FOX News' Dan Springer contributed to this report.

FOXNews.com - Canada's Expectant Moms Heading to U.S. to Deliver - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

I am on a raft of antidepressants as well as a couple of other things and because of this I have my blood work done frequently. My blood work has shown anomalies which led to my kidneys being ultrasounded which led to my liver being ultrasounded.... Everything turned out to be okay. Another time an anomaly led to a visit to a blood specialist at Mount Sinaii and again everything turned out to be okay. I have also had two colonoscopies, a few mammogrammes and two bone density scans along with countless X-rays, most of these for my lungs. (I am prone to getting bronchitis whenever I get a cold.) Most of these medical dramas of mine began after I turned 55. They are right when they say that growing old ain't for sissies.

Did anyone see the story about dentistry in the UK and how patients are pulling out their own teeth with pliers and gluing their crowns back on with crazy glue? Dentist shortage has Brits pulling own teeth - More Health News - MSNBC.com

Haha. DIY dentistry, eh? Thanks for posting this article, Gadget. It does strike me that whenever there is a two-tier health system - that is to say, a public and a private tier - if there are gross inequities in the pay scale and in the working conditions the professionals will naturally be inclined to drop out of the public sector. (This is why both the Government of Canada and various provinces are arguing about private proposals from business consortiums to set up shop north of the border.)

I know nothing about the way the British health care system is run apart from the fact that there is a two-tier system in place. I can say that medical or dental training is rigorous and those who complete their studies should earn both respect and a good living. As you already know, in Canada doctors are paid on a per patient per job basis. This recognises the both the time and the complexity of the doctor's work.

Now, if the British Health Care system has their medical and dental professionals working on a strictly salaried basis, it should come as no surprise that their professionals are choosing to abandon the system in order to set up private shop. I certainly would, wouldn't you?

This same report mentions that there is also teeth grief in America as well. Many Americans do not have the kind of extended health care which covers dental work, many other Americans live in areas which are simply not serviced by a dentist, and still many American dentists will not accept those patients who have welfare coverage.

Well, first of all, let me tell you that up here in Canada dental work is not covered by our universal health care programme. The state of one's smile is not considered crucial to one's health, and if it comes down to eating baby food, well, that's too bad for you. Dental work, physiotherapy, psychotherapy from anyone other than a M.D., glasses, semi-private rooms, hearing aids, and drugs all fall into the realm of extended health benefits. These are viewed as frills and either you yourself will pay, or, if you are lucky because you have hitched your star to a fine employer, your benefits package will cover everything except for the co-pay. I am very lucky; my expensive arse is well-covered.

Now, let us return to the problem in Great Britain and the other one, the one of certain American dentists choosing to reject certain kinds of dental coverage. I find myself thinking of the fine legal tradition which you have established in the U.S., that of pro bono work, and I cannot wonder why this is not imported into other professional areas. I am aware that this would be in the case of Great Britain somewhat in the nature of a stop gap. It sounds like there is a lot of work to be done there.

At the same time, remember that it is those people who are unhappy who will take the trouble to complain. In general we don't tend to hear from the satisfied folks. This even holds true on LBT.

And, by the way, I am always pleased to be engaged in these discussions. I live in a cold climate and I am retired. This means Bad Biz can happen when it comes to the Refrigerator.........and Green's jaws.:hungry:

I have lived in both Canada and The US. The past 13 years while living in the US my health issues were diagnosed and treated quickly. I never had to worry when I got sick. I have endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain in which treatment is necessary. Now I am back in Canada and there is no relief in site. I am on a waiting list to drive to see a pain specialist in another major city as we don't have one here and I only have to wait 9 months for my appointment. 9 months is crazy..... I am afraid that in Canada proper timely medical treatment is difficult. I would much rather be on the american system. However for people without any major health issues, the system here works. People who are ill are just not treated timely. This is just my opinon and don't want to offend anyone. The system and treatments varies from province to province..

I have lived in both Canada and The US. The past 13 years while living in the US my health issues were diagnosed and treated quickly. I never had to worry when I got sick. I have endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain in which treatment is necessary. Now I am back in Canada and there is no relief in site. I am on a waiting list to drive to see a pain specialist in another major city as we don't have one here and I only have to wait 9 months for my appointment. 9 months is crazy..... I am afraid that in Canada proper timely medical treatment is difficult. I would much rather be on the american system. However for people without any major health issues, the system here works. People who are ill are just not treated timely. This is just my opinon and don't want to offend anyone. The system and treatments varies from province to province..

This is very, very bad! I am curious to know which province you are in. I live in downtown Toronto, Ontario, and my experience of the medical establishment has been great. But it seems that I made a serious error in judging the Canadian system by the experiences of myself and my friends who live either here or in Montreal, Quebec. I have one friend who lives in Montreal who is HIV positive and he is receiving superb supervisory care for his condition.

I hope that you are making a stink about your lousy treatment. Universal health care isn't universal when you are not getting proper health care.

another reason I love the US system...........

FOXNews.com - Canada's Expectant Moms Heading to U.S. to Deliver - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

I understand... I hope our country never goes to socialized medicine.... despite the flaws of our healthcare system, I like it much more... I lived under socialized medicine for years and it was the worst health care I've ever seen...