A priviledged view of American healthcare.

On Saturday, I went to see a family physician for a stomach problem. The family physician I saw, recommended that I call a surgeon immediately. On Monday, I called to make an appointment and that very day I was seen by the surgeon. On Wednesday I had surgery.

(I am going to spare you the details of my physical health, other than to say, that as a metaphor for my life it is most appropriate.)

In a matter of 4 days, I had gone from seeing a family physician to having surgery. In Canada, this process would have taken 6 months, at best. Nor would I have been able to directly contact the specialist myself. Instead, the family physician would have arranged the visit.

Mind you, surgery would not have cost $7000 in Canada. Luckily HippieHusband and I have insurance coverage. But even with insurance coverage, we will still be paying a pretty penny. The high cost of healthcare is largely due to the presence of the middlemen, i.e. the insurance companies. In Canada, "we spend 48 per cent less on health care than the US does -- $6,714 U.S. per person versus $3,678 U.S. in Canada." (Source is this article.)

Since this is my first time having surgery, I can only compare my experience here to what others have told me about their experiences in Canada. But as far as I can tell, the system here works, if you have the money to pay for it.

One nurse that I spoke with during my pre-op said that they like to think of the hospital as a five star hotel. Dang straight it is - I had my own hospital room with its own bathroom, loveseat, flatscreen TV, and a window to boot. Not only that the hospital did not have that horrible mixture of sick and antiseptic perfumed air. It was on the contrary, rather pleasant.

The other surprising thing was how pleasant and friendly all the health care professionals were down here. In Canada, it's not that doctors and nurses aren't friendly, they're just overworked and tired. If you walk into a hospital in Canada, the place is packed with people. Those waiting to be treated and those waiting for those who are waiting to be treated.

Here the hospital was empty. I don't know if this is because I was in SmallTown in the middle of nowhere America or because this is the state of hospitals in general down here.

(I mean if health care is so expensive and its a choice between a roof over your head and treatment for an illness, maybe living with illness isn't a bad option.)

I had several nurses taking care of me simultaneously. One came in to check my heart rate and pulse. Another came in to give me an IV and check my oxygen levels. A third came in to make sure that I was comfortable and that I had a hospital bracelet indicating an allergy to latex. Each time someone came in, they made sure I knew exactly what was going to happen.

Finally, a nurse anesthetist came in to brief me on the general anaesthetic and its side effects. And then I had to sign a bunch of forms. This was the other big difference. Here I was constantly signing papers, liability waivers, privacy forms, acknowlegement of side-effects, agreement to treatment, etc. It's kinda crazy all the paperwork.

When I was wheeled into surgery, though I couldn't see clearly (because without my glasses, I'm legally blind), there were at least 5 different nurses waving at me and there was some funky music playing in the background. The next thing I knew I awoke in my snazzy five star hotel room. HippieHusband was by my side. Although I was still groggy, I remember a nurse asking me to sign yet another document.

(There is serious anxiety here about malpractice suits. With reason, Americans are a litigious bunch.)

Then I was given a muffin and fresh peaches to eat. I have had hospital food in Canada and it pales in comparison. But I guess if you charge $7000 you better provide some pretty nice eatin's. Once I had walked, peed, and ate something I was discharged from the hospital and the surgeon gave me his cell phone number and told me to call if I needed anything.

The next day, the surgeon called to see how I was doing. Crazy, huh. I'm pretty sure that doctors in Canada don't have the time to do follow-up calls themselves.

Getting sick in the US is a scary thing, especially after the way Michael Moore paints the health care system in his movie, Sicko. During pre-op I saw a financial counsellor to try and figure out exactly how much this was going to cost. When the financial counsellor told me $7000, I nearly fell out of my chair. And I can tell you at that point I wished I was back in Canada.

When it was all said and done, I feel less intimated by the system here. But I still find that my American colleagues are constantly telling me about the problems they see in our health care system.

Is the US model of healthcare better? Yes, treatment is fast, effective, and you are made as comfortable as possible. Health care is a business here and customer satisfaction is the goal. But customer satisfaction is the goal only for the lucky who have good health care insurance. And even then, this system is maze of paperwork, rules, and bureaucracy.

In Canada, people don't stick with a terrible job just because of the health care. They don't have to worry about a loss of income if a family member gets sick. Not only that Americans are less likely to have a family physician and more likely to live with health issues and forgo necessary medicines. And frankly, if the surgery weren't necessary I would have just lived with the problem as many Americans do.

However, the health of a people is reflected by the health care system and this article suggests that because of universal healthcare,

"Canadians live longer than Americans [80.3 years compared to 78.6 years] and appear to have similar or better health outcomes in most aspects of health care."

Now as I sit here in bed, recovering, I am well aware that universal health care comes with some trade-offs, ie overworked and tired professionals, a shortage of equipment, and long waiting periods. But you know what, in the end, if it meant that the average Joe Canadian had a chance at health care, I would have no problem waiting 6 months for treatment.