Les Jones: Canadian MP Travels to U.S. for Cancer Treatment

September 20, 2007

Health Care > Canadian MP Travels to U.S. for Cancer Treatment

Uncle reminded me of this story: Stronach travels to U.S. for cancer treatment:

OTTAWA–Belinda Stronach, the MP for Newmarket-Aurora and former cabinet minister, travelled outside Canada's health-care system to California for some of her breast cancer treatment earlier this year.
Stronach, diagnosed in the spring with a type of breast cancer that required a mastectomy and breast reconstruction, went to California in June at her Toronto doctor's suggestion, a spokesperson confirmed.

Stronach's people vigorously deny that she went to the U.S because of waiting times in Canada, but don't seem to have a good explanation otherwise. According to these Ontario healthcare stats, 90% of cancer patients receive surgery within 84 days. Not sure how that compares to the U.S.

Posted by lesjones | TrackBack

Comments

Maybe it's NOT because our care is faster. Maybe it's just that Canadians have lost all their best doctors, so Ms. Stronach knows she can get better care here!

Posted by: Bruce R. Gilson at September 20, 2007

I wonder how many Americans could get treated by that doctor. What relevance do anecdotes like this have to the 15% of Americans with no health care other than emergency room visits during a crisis? Is there a point to such "gotcha" tales other than to blow snot on any attempt at rational discussion of how to improve our system?

Posted by: persimmon at September 20, 2007

Just KNEW that the moron would show up here to say something that amounts to nothing.

Can't wrap his/her head around the fact that the Canadian PM in question couldn't get it done over there, and came here to get it fixed, because that's just where the best care is.

Ignoring the obvious, steering the argument, and trying to slap the blame on something that just doesn't deserve it.

Sounds just like Uncle Bill to me.

Posted by: -B at September 20, 2007

Persimmon, the gotcha is that Canada's system is not providing the best possible medical care. If the U.S. were to adopt a Canadian-style system we would be lowering our medical standards.

B, cool it with the name calling.

Posted by: Les Jones at September 21, 2007

The best possible medical care will be available in the country with the best education system and the most active medical research system.

If the situation were reversed and we had a government-backed insurance system that covered everyone and the Canadians had an employer-backed system with millions uninsured, we would still have better doctors because our universities are the best in the world.

And I'm sure you understand that the Canadians don't send all their breast cancer patients to California for masectomies, just the really rich ones who hobnob with the Clintons and can pay out of pocket for exceptional care.

Posted by: persimmon at September 27, 2007