Canada's Private Clinics Surge as Public System Falters

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
In Japan, there's a phenomenon (particularly among the elderly) where a person will go to the doctor quite frequently (up to every day in some cases) out of boredom/loneliness or hypochondria. Is there anything similar to that in Canada?

Old people? Silly Yank. When people turn 60 up here it's time to set them off on an ice floe...

[Drake Tungsten]

The Wisdom of the Eskimo

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
In Japan, there's a phenomenon (particularly among the elderly) where a person will go to the doctor quite frequently (up to every day in some cases) out of boredom/loneliness or hypochondria. Is there anything similar to that in Canada?

Outside of eskimos? Yes.

What do you think happens when you turn 30 million people loose on a system that costs them nothing out of pocket to use?

You find a few hundred thousand (or million) who way over use the buffet that cost them nothing to get into (personally).

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


I'm agreeing with you that high wages are probably nothing more than a marginal factor in health spending. I'm disagreeing with your reasoning.

OK.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by notyoueither
What do you think happens when you turn 30 million people loose on a system that costs them nothing out of pocket to use?

Actually, it's been demonstrated in study after study that people don't tend to overconsume on the quantity; rather, they overconsume on its quality. People don't tend to make unnecessary trips to the doctor; rather they tend to demand specialised treatment when they have no need for it.

And since many old people in the US are covered as well as are old people in Canada this argument is rather strange.

[notyoueither]

And? If it's cost of number of visits, or cost of the 'quality' services consumed unnesessarily, WTF difference does it make?

And what 'study after study' shows that zero cost of a doctors or emergency visit does not lead to unneeded visits?

And the US spends a helluva lot of money on public health care as well.

[KrazyHorse]

I don't know how the numbers break down regarding oldsters versus youngsters, but I do know that women visit the doctor or the hospital at a rate 170% higher than that of men, despite having similar rates of illness and injury...

[notyoueither]

And pregnancy?

I've been in emergency twice in 40 years. Many women have delivered that many children by my age, plus their injuries.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by notyoueither
And what 'study after study' shows that zero cost of a doctors or emergency visits does not lead to unneeded visits?

Do a google search on it. People don't tend to go to the hospital when they don't need to. Very few people have so little to do that they'd rather spend their time in an emergency room waiting for hours than sit at home watching TV. What happens is that once they're in the system they tend to ask for **** they don't need.

And the US spends a helluva lot of money on public health care as well.

And you see the same ****ing problem with people who are on private health insurance too. Once they've broken the seal of visiting an emergency room the extra bells and whistles cost them little or nothing. So people ***** and whine to get an MRI when an X-ray would do, etc.

[notyoueither]

You are assuming the norm. 'People don't tend to go to the hospital when they don't need to.' Should add 'most people' to that.

There are people who use it at the drop of a hat because it's there, and it costs them nothing directly.

Demanding more than they need once they're there is icing on the cake.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by notyoueither
And pregnancy?

I've been in emergency twice in 40 years

When you take into account the fact that males are much more likely to receive serious injuries from driving, sports, on the job etc. you tend to just about balance out the pregnancies...

[notyoueither]

Bull****.

[KrazyHorse]

Automobile accidents alone kill and seriously wound males at a rate more than twice as high for that of females.

[KrazyHorse]

Men do dumb **** and hurt themselves. It's a fact of life.

I haven't been to the doctor's in...more than 10 years, I think. The last time was for an annual checkup when I was ~15.

Since that time I've broken 3 fingers, torn ligaments in both my ankles, broken a toe, sprained my wrist more than once, had a fever of 103.4 F, had mononucleosis a second time and put a gash 20 cm long and ~2 cm deep into my leg.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Automobile accidents alone kill and seriously wound males at a rate more than twice as high for that of females.

I think you're confusing drivers with victims.