Monday
Pro-Side Introduction
The debates between Canadian universal healthcare and US privatized healthcare are endless. Each country has its reasons to prove the worth of its healthcare system. At the same time, citizens of both countries can recognize the challenges and shortages of public and private healthcare services offered. For a long period, Canadian universal healthcare has been defined as one of the most effective and successful systems around the whole globe. About 57% of Canadians are satisfied with their healthcare services in comparison to only 25% of Americans, who could demonstrate the same attitudes to their healthcare services (Kliff, 2012). The investigations show that Canadian healthcare is characterized by high wait times (Barua, Rovere, & Skinner, 2011).
However, this importance could be explained by the possibility to get access to extensive medical coverage and high-quality services. Besides, any resident of Canada could ask for and get health care regardless of age, race, origin, employment rate, etc. Another important aspect of Canadian universal healthcare is the intention to cover all aspects of human life that could be connected with the importance of healthcare services. The Canadian Government supports the idea of programs within the frames of which citizens could learn how to reduce their costs on health care, how to avoid and prevent injuries, and how to control their health. Finally, Canadian national insurance programs are mentioned in the Presidential debates 2016 as one of the successful ways of how a single-payer system could work (Oberlander, 2016).
Wednesday
Pro-Side Presenting Arguments
In the previous post, several important arguments to support the Canadian universal healthcare system were introduced. Now, it is high time to explain the worth of each point and give examples. Nowadays, more than 36 million people live in Canada, and the growth of the population is continuous due to immigrants who want to stay in the country (“Canada’s population estimates”, 2016).
- Canadian healthcare is defined as a single-payer system (Oberlander, 2016). It means that the state takes responsibility for all healthcare costs. Canadians could enjoy their universal healthcare coverage and receive the services of the same quality and quantity at rather affordable prices. Besides, the citizens of Canada are covered at birth so that they are free to choose doctors and hospitals regarding their demands, possibilities, and situations. In comparison to the United States, where several people stay uninsured, Canada promotes healthcare coverage for all its citizens as soon as the fact of birth is proved.
- In Canada, the government, as well as medical workers, takes care of the level of knowledge about the health that citizens have. There are several health-related awareness days/weeks/months in the country during which different health organizations share their knowledge and experience on different diseases, preventive methods, and therapies that could be offered to people. For example, in 2016, January 27 was the day of Family Literacy when parents had to focus on the development of their children’s reading and writing skills and encourage the idea of lifelong learning (“Calendar of health promotion days”, 2016).
- Single governmental plans help to reduce administrative costs and deprive citizens of the necessity to pay doctor bills (Oberlander, 2016). Several Canadians know nothing about hospital bills and enjoy the quality of services but not the importance of insurance coverage offered to them.
- The level of citizens’ satisfaction with healthcare services they could get is also an important argument to be mentioned. More than half of the Canadian population is satisfied with the services they get at hospitals (Kliff, 2012). When they come to hospitals, the first question they hear is what bothers them at the moment but not what coverage or insurance they have. Such an attitude to patients is impressive indeed, and the majority of Canadian hospitals put the importance of an appropriate attitude to their patients in the first place. People have to understand that when they address a hospital and ask for medical help, they are sure to get it as soon as possible.
- Finally, it is necessary to admit that Canadian healthcare takes one of the leading places in many global ratings. Its healthcare system is of national pride. Citizens admire this system and try to make any possible contributions to the successful development of their health care. When people understand the worth of their health and take the steps to improve the existing healthcare system, the success and importance of such health care are hard to neglect.
Friday
Pro-Side Rebuttal
Several opponents could use the fact that the Canadian healthcare system is not perfect because of the existing wait times in non-emergency surgeries (Barua et al., 2011). Such a necessity to wait makes people nervous and disappointed with the system. Besides, people could think that their lives and health could be put at risk. It is hard to predict the importance of surgery and the possible deterioration of health while waiting. Therefore, Canadian wait times are usually introduced as the main disadvantage of the system. Regarding such an argument, it is necessary to say that the representatives of Canadian health care continue working on the improvement of this situation. Wait times have been already investigated and divided by segments and specialties.
For example, patients with the necessity of plastic surgeries could wait for about 41 weeks, and people who need neurosurgeries could wait for about 38 weeks (Barua et al., 2011). The numbers are impressive. Still, the reforms have been already offered, the request for more medical experts has been already defined, and Canadians have been already provided with the guarantees. Regarding the existing increase of population (“Canada’s population estimates”, 2016), it is hard to provide all people with the answers and surgical opportunities. Besides, such wait times touch upon non-emergency surgeries only. It means that patients could wait, and the time deadlines could be explained from a professional point of view.
At the same time, some American politicians admit that Canadian health care is not that perfect to become an example to follow. Several doctors are reimbursed by the government, and they earn about $125,000 in comparison to the American doctors, who earn about $186,000 (Kliff, 2012). However, even such numbers could be explained. As soon as Canadian doctors could comprehend their opportunities and compare them with those of the American doctors, they start thinking about the alternatives. Still, the quality of life and the living conditions in the United States differ from those offered to Canadian citizens. It could be said that not high salaries are compensated for the patients they have to cooperate with, the conditions they have to work under, and the opportunities they get as the native citizens of Canada. The Canadian Government continues to develop new programs and plans to support Canadian doctors and improve its healthcare. There is always hope for doctors to earn more.
Saturday
Pro-Side Final Argument
Not many people could agree with the fact that Canadian universal healthcare is one of the best and the most successful systems in the world. Besides, not many people could believe that it is even better than the US privatized healthcare. Still, it is impossible to neglect the facts that could prove the chosen position. Canadian healthcare is one of the most successful and globally recognized single-payer systems. It has been working for more than 40 years, and its prospects remain to be good nowadays. Canadian citizens enjoy the quality of medical services and the ways they treated at hospitals. Though it is hard to create a perfect healthcare system for more than 36 million people, the government continues to develop new programs and plans to create appropriate services and working conditions. People use their chances to learn health issues and the ways of how they could avoid injuries, diseases, and various psychological disorders. There are special days, weeks, or even months to get a free education on specialized topics. Not many countries offer the same opportunities to their citizens.
In general, Canadian universal healthcare is better than the US privatized system because it is based on people and their needs. In Canada, doctors and nurses are bothered with the health problems and conditions of their patients but not with the type of insurance and the presence of money in patients’ pockets like it happen to the users of the US privatized healthcare system. Besides, Canadians have a portion of confidence about the possibility to use any healthcare service any time they want as soon as they are born. Americans do not have such opportunities even if they address some privatized companies.
Sometimes, Americans could become bankrupts because of the necessity to pay for healthcare services at privatized organizations. Canadian universal healthcare is an example of stability and confidence that all services of the same quality could be offered at affordable prices to all Canadian citizens. Such conclusions prove that the Canadian healthcare system maybe not perfect and may require several improvements and contributions. However, till Canadian people believe in the power of dignity and equality, they are free to make choices, improve their lives, and help each other to achieve the best results in healthcare services used. Even the question of wait times could be solved in case Canadians consider each other’s opinions and search for alternatives.
References
Barua, B., Rovere, M., & Skinner, B.J. (2011). Waiting your turn: Wait times for health care in Canada. Studies in Health Policy. Web.
Calendar of health promotion days. (2016). Health Canada. Web.
Canada’s population estimates, first quarter 2016. (2016). Statistics Canada: The Daily. Web.
Kliff, S. (2012). Everything you ever wanted to know about Canadian health care in one post. The Washington Post. Web.
Oberlander, J. (2016). The virtues and vices of single-payer health care. The New England Journal of Medicine, 374, 1401-1403.