Fix Canada's Health Care!

While visiting any of Canada's hospitals have you been the victim of Long waits? Poor service? Understaffing? Hallway medicine?

Take heart, You aren't alone! You are a part of the majority!

Yes, it's true, Medicare - that service that "speaks eloquently to our value as a nation" is in trouble once again. Why? Because there isn't enough money. The Premiers of our provinces, headed by Chair of the Premiers' Federation Dalton-'I won't raise your taxes'-McGuinty are demanding Martin and his government pony up more cash to save our beleaguered system.

They say Martin has only promised an amount equal to 12.2 billion dollars over 6 years. That's just over 2 billion a year, for a system that cost 84.8 billion dollars last year alone. An expenditure that already equates to $5385 for every single employed Canadian. Does anyone still wonder where all their tax dollars go? But you have to think that a little more would help, no? I mean, that's roughly an extra $64 dollars for every Canadian citizen ($114 for each Canadian with a job) per year. Not to mention the extra money the provinces will be spending - I only have to look at recent payslips to see my contribution to Ontario's new health care tax.

It's not enough though - it never is. People aren't happy - they are complaining. The solution is, of course, to throw so much money at it that it evaporates. Well, hopefully. Something to the tune of $30 billion? Sure, that sounds good, the premiers say.

There is no real desire to revamp Medicare, or to change it an anything even close to a 'fundamental' way. Canadians hold it too close to their heart - our politicians tell us to, because it's the only thing that keeps us different from the big bad Americans - they have to PAY for service!??! Pah!!! We love our way, except for when we try to take advantage of it - and then the bitching begins. It's all a part of the Canadian identity - as far as the average Canadian is concerned, we all deserve a free-ride! That is, the government should supply us with every service imaginable, because no one wants to take any responsibility for themselves. Think free daycares! Those worked in Quebec, kind of, well, it was a nice thought.

It isn't free though, it all costs money. So, instead of relying on private enterprise - designed to be more efficient because companies are trying to make money (Private enterprise is bad! That's capitalism right? Yes - The root of all evil! Taking advantage of poor workers like you and I, bastards), citizens demand the government get involved - because even though no one really trusts politicians, or civil servants, etc - the collective consciousness still demands more service.

Some people talked about trying to find a way to make both private and public health care available in Canada.

What!?!? The big bad privates involved in our health care? That's American-style isn't it? That's baaad.

Instead, any Canadians (and there are more than a few) who have any condition that requires attention sooner than our system can give it (or just the folks with money to spend) go down south for service. They take their money, and invest it elsewhere. But the joke is on them, they're putting pressure on the American health care system. Hah!

Even without thinking about alternative services for Canadians, there's still plenty that could be done with Medicare. Weed out the waste!

Problem: Most waste is caused by citizens. Those idiots who think they need a doctor's care every time they bruise their arm, or bleed a little bit when a knife bumps into their finger, or come rushing for prescription drugs whenever they or their children have an inkling of a cough. If only people had the capacity to use their brains, it would all cost so much less.

Wait, there's more! What about the waste in the hospitals? Why use 10 milligrams or this drug or other, and throw away the other 30 because you opened the bottle, and once it's opened it can't be closed, so the rest is garbage. Not an eloquent example, but it happens - every day. Find ways to stop wasting expensive medical materials, maybe? This is all public run, right? Everyone knows the track record for efficiency those people have. (Civil Service, anyone? No wonder I can't get a job, there's half a million people working for the government that do Absolutely Nothing.)

It's going to get worse before it gets better though, the baby boomers are retiring. We all know what that means - they'll be sucking up hospital services like a newborn on a teat. I know this is true, because Dalton McGuinty said it. Damn, those baby boomers. First they ruined the CPP, and now Medicare. We all know that that particular population spike is to blame for all of our problems. Even the problems in fundamentally flawed systems.

This is what we're inheriting, fellow readers. (I'm pretty sure my readership demographic excludes geriatrics.) Fools that play around with a lot of our money, without really fixing anything.