Margarita Kalika
The American Health Care
Stands No Chance to the Canadian Health
Care Way
The Canadian health care system far exceeds
that of the American health care system for many different reasons. These
reasons will be addressed throughout, and will provide readers with valid
information and insight.
Summary – Does the United States Have a Better Health Care System
than Canada?
(No Side)
Adam Gopnik and Malcolm Gladwell
are both writers for the American magazine called The New Yorker.
Adam Gopnik – ‘no’ side
Malcolm Gladwell – ‘yes’ side
- Canada’s medicare is a
great achievement in public policy to date.
- Canada has universal health care coverage
whereas America
depends on the market place to cover their medical expenses through insurance
coverage.
- Canada’s health care system allows for Canadians
to not worry about having the need to pay for their health care directly,
but through the tax system enforced annually.
- All citizens in Canada are entitled to basic
health care, including the elderly and poor.
- Government-run health care (Canada) more effective than private-run
health care (United
States):
Ø
Profit
rather than patient care is a paramount concern with a private health care
system.
Ø
Private
health care is market-oriented where goods and services are made to be sold to
people as consumer products rather than necessities for health patients.
Ø
Government-run
health care allows for people to be informed that their tax money is going
towards health care facilities.
- It is estimated that 43 million Americans
(or 16 per cent) are without health care coverage and many others are with
limited coverage.
- Gladwell points out that Canada’s lack of medical
technology hinders the health care experiences.
Ø Medical experts believe this problem can easily
be removed by re-allocating resources.
- Gopnik shares a personal story where his sister
had given birth to a premature baby. Her baby had survived after intensive
medical treatment and care. Canada’s medicare
allowed for his sister to not concern herself with medical expenses for
the procedure and any other expenses she may have had to pay.
- Gladwell argues privatized health care (the
American way) is better due to the quality of care provided. He makes a
point that quality is an essential part of a health care system and should
be for all involved in it.
Ø
Gopnik points out
that not everyone is part of this system in America for the costs for health
coverage are extensive.
- Egalitarianism is more important in a health
care system for it provides everyone with a chance to be admitted for
medical care or treatment.
- Gopnik points out that America may have the latest
technology in their doctor’s office, but a large number cannot have access
to it due to their lack of coverage and means of affordability. Canada’s
medicare allows for everyone to be looked after,
increasing the chance of recovery.
- Gopnik explains his experience with the French
health care system in which taxpayers had to pay a great amount of money
for their health care, but the trade-off was better service and longer
recovery periods in hospitals. American healthcare is identical in tax to
the French and the hospital stays there are shorter.
- Canada’s medicare
allows for taxpayers to know where their money is going and how they are
to pay for a sudden injury or illness. The answer, according to Gopnik, is the citizens themselves pay for it through
collective taxes. This depletes worries and anxieties over these
spontaneous medical circumstances.
- Gladwell raised the issue of gender differences
with health care expectations.
1) Women chronically use the
health care system for low technological examinations and treatments, such
as pap smears and breast exams. 2) Men acutely use the health care system
for problems that arise during the middle-age period and on. 3) Woman are
concerned with access to their doctors for daily, monthly, and yearly
issues while men are concerned with quality in order to have their illness
treated quickly in their older age. 4) Men ideally require America’s system while women ideally
require Canada’s
system. There are problems with this thinking Gopnik
points out.
Ø
Young men
are prone to testicular cancer. This group of men will have difficulty to treat
the condition at their young age with the American health care system.
Ø
Canada’s medicare gears
toward care rather than the “heroic medicine” America offers, which is greatly
important when a medical problem arises in a patient arbitrarily.
Ø
Social
costs of America’s
“heroic medicine” are not justified. Early detection of many cancers is crucial
for quick and efficient treatments. Woman especially need this primarily for
cervical cancer and breast cancer. The lack of accessibility in America’s
health care system prevents early detection and causes unnecessary costly
procedures to follow.
- The populations of Britain, France,
and Canada
had their approval rates of their universal health systems dramatically
increased.
- Gladwell heightens the influence America’s technology has had
on the medical world by insisting other nations use their innovations, and
“cherry pick” their ideas.
Ø
Gopnik confronts
this “American narcissism” by reminding Gladwell that
when Paul Tsongas was running for president he claimed that his bone-marrow
transplant would not have been possible in Canada. On the contrary, that
particular surgery originates from Canada.
- America’s health care focuses on extreme
circumstances where transplants and other careful surgeries are required
rather than typical daily health needs (breaking a bone, giving birth,
undergoing a serious allergic reaction, etc) that aid in preventing future
health problems.
- Gladwell describes American health care to be more
convenient than Canadian health care because American hospitals release a
patient within a day of an important procedure so they can continue on
about their regular schedules. He claims hospitals in Canada inconvenience patients
by using traditional technology to perform a treatment that causes them to
remain in the hospital longer to recuperate.
Ø
Gopnik points the
American health care method will cause patients to spend more money for such
quick services whereas Canadian patients would spend far less.
Ø
It is
essential for the full recovery process to take place after a significant
surgery. Having a patient leave quickly, as is the case with America’s surgical method hinders this
crucial step.
Ø
In America,
a patient’s health care insurance coverage runs out after a major health issue
takes place that requires an expensive surgery. In order to cover the remainder
of the expenses, the patient must pay hundreds of thousands of dollars more.
Canadian patients do not have this concern.
- Gladwell points out that for every American it is
a matter of buying the right insurance to cover a medical circumstance.
Ø
Gopnik argues that
health care will be structured as a consumer-oriented system where every
product and service is part of the market model.
Ø
If a
patient does not buy the correct insurance to cover their medical problems than
they are at fault when their needed surgery cannot be covered. American health
care in this respect is individualized where each person is out for themselves
with the immense risk of losing out and sacrificing their health. Canadian
patients are provided with much more safety and security for they receive
health care without worrying if they are covered by the appropriate insurance
plan.
Glossary:
Egalitarianism:
Believing in equality.
Canada’s medicare follows this idea for all people, including poor
and old, have access to basic health care.
Free Enterprise System/Free
Market System: Used to
describe America’s
health care system where the public pays for insurance coverage that meets
their medical needs.
Heroic medicine: Used to describe America’s well advanced medical
resources.
Medicaid:
American government-run
healthcare plan for the poor.
Medicare:
a) – name given to the Canadian health care system.
b) – American government-run health care plan for the elderly.
Morbidity: Diseased state; amount of suffering.
Mortality: Death rate.
OHIP: Ontario Health Insurance Plan; a government-run health plan for Ontario citizens.
Single-payer
system: Canadian health care plan in which
Canadians use one method of payment toward healthcare through annual taxes.
Private health insurance or any other healthcare plans are not an alternative
to receive basic health care needs.
What
Do You Think?
1)
Is it better to sacrifice
quality in order to receive proper accessibility to medical facilities?
2)
Gladwell mentions patients need
to choose the medical insurance coverage that best suits their needs otherwise
it’s their own health on the line if chosen incorrectly. Is this method of
“Russian roulette” a risk America
should be taking with their patients?
3)
Gladwell accuses other nations
of cherry picking America’s
technological innovations, and claims the medical progress will come to a
standstill without America’s
immense scientific input. Do you believe this to be true?
4)
How long have you had to wait
in a Canadian hospital or clinic for your basic health care needs? How long for
a more complicated procedure, if any?
5)
Do you believe it is fair for
taxpayer’s money to go toward everyone regardless of their financial status and
personal health circumstances they may or may not have caused?
6)
Based on personal experience,
have you found that women in your life would benefit under the Canadian health
care system and men would benefit from the American health care system for
their health needs? Consider family members and close friends. Which would you
benefit most from? Do you agree with Gladwell’s gender observation?
7)
When Canada’s current medicare was
created, it received much appraisal from the general public as being the
greatest health care system in the world. Do you believe this to still be true?
Explain. If not, what action do you think needs to be taken for Canada’s
medicare to improve?
8)
Is it possible to create a
perfect universal health care system that would meet the needs of all people
quickly, efficiently, and constructively? If so, how would we go about it? If
not, why is this not possible?
9)
Is it better for patients to be
given procedures with the latest technology and released within the same day or
is it better for patients to be given procedures using traditional technology
and released after a sufficient amount of days?
10) Is the free market trade
beneficial to all individuals regardless of income and social status?