Senore Graciano pointed over his shoulder and craned his neck around. “My new hospital,” he pointed. “Very big. Very nice,” he said, steering with one hand.
I smiled, nodded and did everything to show I saw his hospital as our van leaned through lane changes in the roundabout.
“Do you have to pay for healthcare?” I asked.
Mr. Graciano frowned and tilted his head.
“Is medicine free? Do you have to pay to go to the hospital?” I asked.
“Oh, No! No. It’s a free,” he said. “You no pay,” he shook his head and frowned.
“Do you have to wait?” I asked.
“Si! You wait very long time,” he smiled and nodded. “Many months. Very long time. But, if you pay private,” he shrugged his right shoulder and flung his hand toward me. “You no wait. No problemo.”
No problemo, indeed.
No problem, except that it’s illegal for Canadian citizens to pay for healthcare. Correction: it’s illegal for Canadians to purchase necessary care, except for Quebecers, injured workers covered by WSIB, diplomats, professional athletes, RCMP staff, citizens with expired or invalid health cards, refugees… They all pay. They don’t get to the front of the line, like professional athletes and WSIB patients, but they all pay.
European countries have universal healthcare. Italy, Germany, England, Sweden, Switzerland, they all have universal healthcare. Even the United States now has universal healthcare. Canadian Medicare is not unique because it’s universal.
Citizens around the world have freedom to choose between government run, tax funded healthcare versus privately run options. Only Canada and North Korean prevent citizens from purchasing healthcare. That’s what makes Canadian healthcare unique. Despite other countries having better universal care for less expense, Canadian Medicare eliminates freedom to purchase necessary care for the average taxpayer. Purchasing healthcare in Canada might weaken the state system.
In the 1960s, Canadian Medicare impressed the world. We figured out a way to provide medical care, and it worked well for most of the 1970s. Medical care changed over 40 years, but Medicare has not. The five first principles have been eroded, while quality and service lag behind other countries.
Why are Medicare zealots so anti-freedom? Why, as members of so-called ‘progressive’ political parties, do they fight progress? Why do patients put up with it? When will we consider that medicare freedom might actually improve patient care?