You guys from Canada are beating us.....Geeeez ! Look at this...

[Mousefield]

Medic1050, "There are only two fighter bases. Valcartier, QC. and Cold Lake, AB. At each end of the country, but that is all we need as we only have about 30 or so F-18s until we replace them with 20 or so F-35s in the next ten years"

There is an air force base on Vancouver Island called CFB Comox, it is about a 50 minute drive north of us. I do believe they have fighters there.
Victoria, the capital of BC, has a large naval base called CFB Esquimalt, it's about a 2 hours drive south of us.

As far as our health care system it is getting worse. The population of Canada is getting older and so the system is getting more patients and of course over the years we have many more procedures that modern medicine/science had advanced, such as heart, lung, kidney transplants, hip and knees replacement and many other that the medical service didn't do 20-30 years ago. Of course the biggest misconceptions is that it's free, wonder why I and my wife pay $116 per month to BC medical plus lots of taxes. Any time I have traveled outside of Canada I have always paid for extra medical coverage, hate to think of going to a US hospital and paying $50. for an aspirin.

As far as the original posters "Canadians are worth more" it's all relative. Guess that's why all levels of government, local, provincial and federal are taxing us to death. :2cents: :2cents:

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

They also have a national health care system, a high percentage of union jobs, and they don't have a Mitt problem!!

Setting aside, for the moment, any discussion of "quality of care" or "access to care" there are any number of studies that show US per capita expenditures on healthcare to be the highest in the world. The ongoing myth in the US that the "FREE" CDN system is grossly over priced is just that - a myth. Whether the system is paid through direct taxes, government insurance, private insurance, employer paid benefit, there is no free lunch - someone is paying the bill. The other supposition that privatization of healthcare somehow leads to lower costs is another highly debatable item. Privatization may well lead to quicker access, but at what cost.

For Canadians who moan and groan about the proportion of their taxes going towards Gov healthcare - have they ever asked about or become aware of the monthly premiums paid by US individuals not covered by a corporate plan? Canadians who complain they have no choice and they would be better off in a world where privatization of healthcare is allowed, have those choices available now. Pack your bags and go to Buffalo for that MRI with no wait time, go to the Mayo Clinic. Be prepared to pay for the privilege, just as it would cost more if privatization were allowed in Canada.

1. United States

Total expenditure on health per capita: $7,960
Expenditure as percent of GDP: 17.4 percent (the most)
Annual growth of total health expenditure: +2.2 percent (14th least)
Life expectancy: 78.2 years (27th highest)


The U.S. has, by far, the highest total expenditure on health care per capita. America spends approximately $2,600 more per person annually than Norway, the second-highest spender. Only 47.7 percent of this amount is public expenditure -- the third-smallest percentage among developed countries. However, the actual amount of public spending, $3,795, is among the highest. The U.S. also spends the largest amount on pharmaceuticals and other medical nondurables. The country has fairly low rates of doctors and hospital beds relative to its population. It also has the eighth-lowest life expectancy, at 78.2 years.

6. Canada
> Total expenditure on health per capita: $4,478
> Expenditure as % of GDP: 11.3% (7th most)
> Annual growth of total health expenditure: +7.4% (7th most)
> Life expectancy: 80.7 years (tied for 12th highest)

Canada—´ health care system costs $4,500 per person each year, the sixth-most among the 34 OECD countries. Between 2008 and 2009, costs increased 7.4%, the seventh-most among developed nations. One of the biggest expenses for the country are hospital stays. The average length of an acute care hospital visit is 7.7 days. Drugs are extremely expensive in the country. Each year, costs of pharmaceuticals come to $743 per person, the second most in the developed world.

 

[Pixguy]

Setting aside, for the moment, any discussion of "quality of care" or "access to care" there are any number of studies that show US per capita expenditures on healthcare to be the highest in the world. The ongoing myth in the US that the "FREE" CDN system is grossly over priced is just that - a myth. Whether the system is paid through direct taxes, government insurance, private insurance, employer paid benefit, there is no free lunch - someone is paying the bill. The other supposition that privatization of healthcare somehow leads to lower costs is another highly debatable item. Privatization may well lead to quicker access, but at what cost.

For Canadians who moan and groan about the proportion of their taxes going towards Gov healthcare - have they ever asked about or become aware of the monthly premiums paid by US individuals not covered by a corporate plan? Canadians who complain they have no choice and they would be better off in a world where privatization of healthcare is allowed, have those choices available now. Pack your bags and go to Buffalo for that MRI with no wait time, go to the Mayo Clinic. Be prepared to pay for the privilege, just as it would cost more if privatization were allowed in Canada.

1. United States

Total expenditure on health per capita: $7,960
Expenditure as percent of GDP: 17.4 percent (the most)
Annual growth of total health expenditure: +2.2 percent (14th least)
Life expectancy: 78.2 years (27th highest)


The U.S. has, by far, the highest total expenditure on health care per capita. America spends approximately $2,600 more per person annually than Norway, the second-highest spender. Only 47.7 percent of this amount is public expenditure -- the third-smallest percentage among developed countries. However, the actual amount of public spending, $3,795, is among the highest. The U.S. also spends the largest amount on pharmaceuticals and other medical nondurables. The country has fairly low rates of doctors and hospital beds relative to its population. It also has the eighth-lowest life expectancy, at 78.2 years.

6. Canada
> Total expenditure on health per capita: $4,478
> Expenditure as % of GDP: 11.3% (7th most)
> Annual growth of total health expenditure: +7.4% (7th most)
> Life expectancy: 80.7 years (tied for 12th highest)

Canada—´ health care system costs $4,500 per person each year, the sixth-most among the 34 OECD countries. Between 2008 and 2009, costs increased 7.4%, the seventh-most among developed nations. One of the biggest expenses for the country are hospital stays. The average length of an acute care hospital visit is 7.7 days. Drugs are extremely expensive in the country. Each year, costs of pharmaceuticals come to $743 per person, the second most in the developed world.

Very informative, Thanks for posting. :thumbsup:

 

[studor]

Aww -- there you go confusing the issue with facts CinderShnauser -- nice post--

 

[chkntrktr]

They also have a national health care system, a high percentage of union jobs, and they don't have a Mitt problem!!

Mitt problem? Did the election happen while I was sleeping?

 

[300UGUY]

Aww -- there you go confusing the issue with facts CinderShnauser -- nice post--

I hate when that happens!!!!

 

[300UGUY]

Mitt problem? Did the election happen while I was sleeping?

I shouldn't have put the Mitt thing in there, it was in response to a Obama hater.

 

[chkntrktr]

I shouldn't have put the Mitt thing in there, it was in response to a Obama hater.

That's OK. Who knows, a year from now it could be true.

 

[rsewill]

Aww -- there you go confusing the issue with facts CinderShnauser -- nice post--

Not to worry, facts don't mean a thing to the baggers.

 

[EE_Bota]

Setting aside, for the moment, any discussion of "quality of care" or "access to care" there are any number of studies that show US per capita expenditures on healthcare to be the highest in the world. The ongoing myth in the US that the "FREE" CDN system is grossly over priced is just that - a myth. Whether the system is paid through direct taxes, government insurance, private insurance, employer paid benefit, there is no free lunch - someone is paying the bill. The other supposition that privatization of healthcare somehow leads to lower costs is another highly debatable item. Privatization may well lead to quicker access, but at what cost.

For Canadians who moan and groan about the proportion of their taxes going towards Gov healthcare - have they ever asked about or become aware of the monthly premiums paid by US individuals not covered by a corporate plan? Canadians who complain they have no choice and they would be better off in a world where privatization of healthcare is allowed, have those choices available now. Pack your bags and go to Buffalo for that MRI with no wait time, go to the Mayo Clinic. Be prepared to pay for the privilege, just as it would cost more if privatization were allowed in Canada.

1. United States

Total expenditure on health per capita: $7,960
Expenditure as percent of GDP: 17.4 percent (the most)
Annual growth of total health expenditure: +2.2 percent (14th least)
Life expectancy: 78.2 years (27th highest)


The U.S. has, by far, the highest total expenditure on health care per capita. America spends approximately $2,600 more per person annually than Norway, the second-highest spender. Only 47.7 percent of this amount is public expenditure -- the third-smallest percentage among developed countries. However, the actual amount of public spending, $3,795, is among the highest. The U.S. also spends the largest amount on pharmaceuticals and other medical nondurables. The country has fairly low rates of doctors and hospital beds relative to its population. It also has the eighth-lowest life expectancy, at 78.2 years.

6. Canada
> Total expenditure on health per capita: $4,478
> Expenditure as % of GDP: 11.3% (7th most)
> Annual growth of total health expenditure: +7.4% (7th most)
> Life expectancy: 80.7 years (tied for 12th highest)

Canada龍 health care system costs $4,500 per person each year, the sixth-most among the 34 OECD countries. Between 2008 and 2009, costs increased 7.4%, the seventh-most among developed nations. One of the biggest expenses for the country are hospital stays. The average length of an acute care hospital visit is 7.7 days. Drugs are extremely expensive in the country. Each year, costs of pharmaceuticals come to $743 per person, the second most in the developed world.

It is a good post, but one notable deficiency is putting aside access and quality for a minute but not picking it up before mentioning moaning and groaning.

If a country has a national system, and folks are moaning and groaning about anything, rather than invite them to go out of country, Canada could decide that instead of comparing themselves to other countries as a hallmark of success, success will be found in comparing customer experience with customer expectations. If I thought for a minute a national system in the US would care one fig about what I thought about the system once entrenched, I'd probably dread it less. But once it's here, it's here, and it might as well be Congress or the presidency for all the bickering and politics that will surround the entrenched medical / governmental complex.