President Obama has every intention of the U.S. having universal health care but the Republicans are fighting it tooth and nail. Why is the U.S. so pig headed about a health care plan that obviously works? The main reason is we have been so misinformed about universal health care by the pharmaceutical companies. They pay big bucks to keep the misinformation going and we have been sold a bunch of snake oil that even some Democrats give credence too.

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The U.S. and Canada went in separate directions in the 1960’s when the U. S. choose public coverage only for the elderly and the very poor. Canada choose a universal coverage for hospital and physician’s services. That means all Canadians have coverage and there are no deductibles or co-pay. Here millions of our people are uninsured and those who have insurance pay an exorbitant price.

Those who have Medicare coverage still pay a premium to Medicare, and a second premium for a supplemental insurance which covers the expenses Medicare doesn’t pay. There is a third insurance for drugs from the pharmacy. People who have no coverage must come up with the money for treatment and medication or do without. Hardly any hospital will take anyone, even in an emergency without insurance coverage.

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Now, you tell me why our politicians can’t see that we need universal health care. For one reason they have good health care, they don’t pay for it and it will continue as long as they live. Why should they worry about those who suffer and die because they have no insurance? Besides that, I think the pharmaceutical companies have our politicians in their back pockets. Those companies sell their drugs for many time over what the same drugs cost in Canada, and they are not about to take a chance on losing the footholds they have gained in our government. I order a six month supply of a prescription medication from Canada and pay the same for it that I would pay at my pharmacy for a one month supply, and that’s with my drug insurance, which I don’t have to use in Canada.

I understand that Canada and the U. S. have one similar failing. We both have to wait too long on appointments and elective care, and both do a poor job of managing chronic diseases. Canadians live on average three years longer and their infant mortality is 20% less than in the U.S. So there, What’s wrong with our politicians, surely they are not ignorant. Big money from pharmaceutical companies are a mighty lever. And to hell they say with the masses.

Canada spends 10% of its economy on health care, the U.S. spends 16%.That extra percentage amounts to more than $800 billion a year. The spending gap between the two countries is due to higher overhead. Canadians don’t need thousands of actuaries to set premiums and thousands of lawyers to deny benefits. Because this $800 billion in the U.S. is spend for non patient care, Canadians receive more for the money. Single payer plans can deliver because their funding goes to patient care, not to actuaries and lawyers.

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