Re: a dumb query? pls humor me
On 8 Mar, Roberto C. Sanchez wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 08, 2007 at 12:25:38PM -0500, judd@wadsworth.org wrote:
> ...
> Well, IIRC, the Canadian healthcare system classifies many things
> which are generally not considered to be elective as elective
> procedures (like total hip replacement). Someone else already posted
> the numbers in this thread, but IIRC the average wait is like 4 weeks
> in the US and 18 or 24 months in Canada.
>
> Regards,
>
> -Roberto
>
I doubt that the average wait is 18 to 24 months. In Quebec,
only 9 % had to wait over 6 months (2004 - 2005). I'm not sure if that
number includes delays for "prehab". And the total number of patients
who had to wait for certain surgeries decreased from 44,000 in 2003 to
34,000 in 2006. http://wpp01.msss.gouv.qc.ca/appl/g74web/default.asp
I'd guess that the average time in the US is closer to
3 months than 4 weeks, also, although that is based on a small sample
of local friends/hospitals. I wouldn't argue that the Canadian system
is without problems, but as a public health professional, and someone
who has personal experience with both systems, IMO the delays in the
Canadian system are somewhat exaggerated in the US. In most
international comparisons, Canada is ranked higher than the US for
overall health care.
-Chris
FWIW, I had to fight for over a year in the US for a hip arthroplasty
procedure which I could have done in Canada. Only part of the delay was
due to the insurance carrier, though, the approval process was partly
to blame.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Christopher Judd, Ph. D. judd@wadsworth.org |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: