No, Trump, Canadians do not flee en masse for US health care

[billpolonsky]

Source: VOX

(They also) tracked Canadians' behaviors by examining data from the National Population Health Survey, where 18,000 Canadians were asked if they sought medical treatment in the US. "Only 90 of those 18,000 Canadians had received care in the United States; only 20 of them had done so electively."

Read more: http://www.vox.com/2016/10/9/13222798/canadians-seeking-medical-care-us-trump-debate

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Hey Trump keep our country's name out of your lying mouth.

Maybe Trumps' rich Canadian friends ( yes we have them also) can afford to fly into the U.S. and pay big money for immediate healthcare on a whim, but the majority of Canadians stay home and use our hard fought for single payer system.

FYI: some links about our system ( 50 years old this year )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Canada

[George II]

1. I have more than a dozen direct relatives that live in Toronto and Vancouver.....

Canadians are overwhelmingly satisfied with their system. That myth of long waiting lines and Canadians going across the border for prescription drugs or treatment are simply that - myth.

[livetohike]

5. Me too, but in Vancouver,Calgary and Saskatchewan. I've been a patient in the ER

In Saskatchewan. Big difference up there! They wouldn't even think of coming to the US for their medical care.

[EllieBC]

8. We have private MRI clinics too.

Because here in Van, there is a waiting list. And it can be 6-18 months for an MRI (unless they suspect cancer). There are also private services for PT and OT and mental health because those have waits too. We used a private developmental psych for my daughter's ASD evaluation because Sunnyhill was up to 18 months. So there are private services for those who can pay. They don't need to go to the US.

But overall it's just fine for basic medical services! Not even close to what Trump thinks.

[GoCubsGo]

12. The thing is, there are waiting lists here, too.

Back when I could afford health insurance, I had to make the appointment for my annual trip to my gynecologist 3 or 4 months in advance. It's the same situation with every other specialty, as well as general practice. After being forced into a retirement I can't afford to be in, my wait for any doctor's appointment is now forever. And, there are 9 million more just like me.

[SCVDem]

30. Try it as a veteran.

They are 4 months out for a basic visit.

[OnlinePoker]

14. I've got an ultrasound scheduled tomorrow for a growth on my neck here in Victoria

I was put on the waiting list last November when I had my physical. My colonoscopy, which was booked 3 weeks ago will be sometime in July unless there are cancellations. This is concerning for me in that I have a family history of that type of Colo-rectal cancer on both sides of the family. My older brother in Surrey had colon cancer 6 years ago, but had been showing symptoms for two years prior. Because he was unable to see a regular GP, he relied on walk-in clinics and it took his 4th visit to the same one before they arranged a colonoscopy (6 months after that visit). So long wait lists do exist in Canada and do have real consequences. The only benefit to Canadian healthcare is we don't have major expenses when we do have to access it.

[bulloney]

21. I have Canadian relatives who have experienced both systems. They prefer the Canadian system.

Less expensive and just as effective.

The stories on being on a "waiting list" if you're under the Canadian system are myths. I got into an argument with a neighbor who played the waiting list card until I told him you have to wait for certain procedures in the U.S., too.

[forest444]

2. And one of the results is that avg. Canadian households have twice the net worth of those in the US

The most significant reason for this disparity? Health care costs.

[Hachetman]

3. Several of my friends....

Several of my friends in the auto racing community are from Canada. They all love their system.

[forest444]

4. Health above dogma. Gotta love that.

And welcome to DU, Hatchetman. Happy posting, my good sir.

[kristopher]

6. Sending it off to the greatest page! nt

[Wounded Bear]

7. Well, if some of those Canadians coming south for health care...

are as big as Trump is, I guess you could call it "en masse."

[FairWinds]

9. Thanks to Tommy Douglas and the . .

Saskatchewan socialists !!

[underpants]

10. Thanks for the references.

[Warpy]

11. Canadian nurses I worked with all said the same thing

"If I get really sick, put me on the first plane to Canada."

Trump is an ignorant boor.

[JohnnyRingo]

13. Republicans act like private insurance is illegal in Canada

If Canadians want our system all they have to do is ring up Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Canada and start making their monthly payments like we're forced to do:

http://www.bluecross.ca/en/index.html

Obviously, there's little reason to do so when they can get it for free.

[murielm99]

15. I went to a Democratic Party event about five

years ago, where Brian Schweitzer, former governor of Montana, was the keynote speaker. He spoke about the Canadian health care system, its origins and history. He would like us to use them as a guideline to develop our own system.

Before that, I had never paid much attention to the details of their system. They had to grow theirs, and to learn and change.

My daughter is married to a Canadian and is a resident legal alien there. I know a little more now than I did then. I LOL'ed when Trump said that.

[geardaddy]

16. When he said that, I screamed "Bullshit!" at the TV.

[Wellstone ruled]

17. Ex Sister in Law would not be alive today

if it wasn't for duel Citizenship. She was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer by a Planned Parenthood Clinic,and because she did not have Insurance,she went to Canada for help. Still alive after twenty plus years.

[TexasBushwhacker]

18. There is a germ of truth

If a person in Canada has something very rare and there is a specialist in the US has experience treating their condition, the Canadian system may pay for the person to get treatment in the US.

This happened for a friend of mine. He had a very rare form of cancer in one of his adrenal glands. The only surgeon who had any experience successfully removing this type of tumor was one in California. So the Canadian system paid for Joe to travel to CA and for his surgery there.

But here's the thing. Joe's cancer was similar to pancreatic cancer in that it is usually discovered too late. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy can extend the person's life, but not save it. Can you imagine any American paying for surgery in a another country, especially when it's basically a lost cause? I can't.

Joe did eventually die, but the surgery and subsequent chemotherapy did give him 9 more years.

[ThoughtCriminal]

19. I've known Canadians who seek healthcare in the U.S.

Not because they can't get better care in Canada, but because they live in Arizona during the winter and it's a long drive back to see a doctor. Don't have stats, but I would guess that this accounts for vast majority of visits to U.S. doctors by Canadians.

I know a few more American citizens that go to Mexico for treatment, but not because they are on vacation, but because it is the only way they can afford it.

[GopherGal]

25. Canadians in Arizona

My retiree parents' Canadian friends in AZ all (regardless of politics) make darn sure they spend enough time in Canada each year to maintain their access to Canadian healthcare.

[OnlinePoker]

20. 52,513 Canadians went outside our borders for medical treatment in 2014

The number of Canadian patients who travelled abroad in 2014 to receive non-emergency medical treatment increased 25% from 2013, according to a study conducted by the Fraser Institute, a Canadian independent research and education organization.

In 2014, 52,513 Canadians travelled beyond our borders to seek medical treatment, compared with 41,838 in 2013. The numbers suggest that the Canadian health care system could not comply with the needs and demands of a substantial number of Canadian patients, according to the study.

The percentage of Canadian patients who travelled abroad to receive non-emergency medical care was 1.1 per cent, an increase compared to 0.9 per cent in 2013.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/number-of-canadian-patients-travelling-abroad-for-treatment-increased-by-25-study-finds

It doesn't say exactly where they all went to but I've heard India is big on the list for medical "tourists". It also doesn't say what the non-emergency treatments were but I would suspect a lot of it is cosmetic in nature.

[Foggyhill]

28. Going to the us for care would be

Stupid especially since waiting lists are mostly for elective surgeries you can actually pay to get done. Chesper in Canada or in other countries like Mexico or india
The number of people going to the Us mostly are sent there by our public system when they don't have the specialized care to treat a patient

[NickB79]

33. In Trump's mind, cosmetic surgery probably IS emergency treatment

Can't stand have any normal-weight, average-looking, small-breasted women around him, you know.

Get that woman fake tits, liposuction and collagen implants, stat!

[SunSeeker]

22. K & R & bookmarked!

[NewJeffCT]

23. I wonder how many Americans have gone to Canada

for cheaper prescription drugs?

[JohnnyRingo]

24. I know someone

Professional Golfer Jason Kokrak is from here and graduated with my close friend's daughter. After her divorce she found herself unable to get her own health insurance due to her pre-existing condition of cancer.

This was before the ACA, but because she had dual citizenship with Canada she was able to move back north to continue treatment. If not for Canadian health care, Jason would either have to quickly play much better golf or his mom would be dead now.

Thanx Obama.

[treestar]

26. more inaccuracy

another disproven right wing talking point. All Don the Con has are right wing generalizations and wishful thinking.

[jpak]

27. Even if they did, Health Canada paid their bills

yup

[Raven123]

29. And some Americans get their medications from Canada

[forest444]

32. Some 5 million, and growing.

An estimated 51 million Americans cannot fully fill their prescriptions due to cost. These Big Pharma bastards take "as much as the market can bear" to a whole other level.

On a lighter note, Welcome to DU Raven123! Happy posting.

[Danmel]

31. Canadians are very happy with their health care system

When then CBC polled Canadian citizens and asked who they thought was the Greatest Canadian ever, they didn't choose Wayne Gretzky, Pierre Trudeau, or Neil Young, they chose Tommy Douglas, the architect of the Canadian health plan.
m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greatest_Canadian

[TrogL]

34. My wife is on dialysis

She is doing in-home peritoneal dialysis. She goes to a special clinic every other month to have her tubes checked. They provide a dialysis machine the size of a desktop printer. A pallet load of boxes of fluids and bags is delivered inside the house once a month. My costs:

• $10 parking
• $8 coffee

...plus $25 for a 5 year disabled placard for the truck. The city put up signs for a disabled stall in front of the house.
My cost in the States would be?