Docnotes doesn't get political very often. Weakened by fatigue at 3 AM .. I responded to Robert Centor's post on his weblog last night about the Canadian Healthcare system. I won't replay the dialogue .. but I thought I'd provide a bit of context ..
This morning when I got to my office in the medical school, my assistant asked me if I have any samples in my practice that I could send over to a colleague's office .. as he's run out of some things that several patients really need. It turns out that he's broke .. and he usually just writes a check to the pharmacy for the patient when they can't affor their medicines.
We're going to see if we can get the local chapter of the NYSAFP to help him out.
... and this excerpt from Johnathon Ross's recent paper provides a good reply to many of the voices who wish to preserve the status quo in this country:
"The necessary economic conditions for an efficient competitive market for health services do not exist. Evidence from the current competition between insurance companies shows that it is likely that these market forces will aggravate the dual problems of high cost and poor access. A tax-financed universal health insurance offers the best alternative and is consistent with both progressive and conservative principles for reform"
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