Ontario health minister defends system as gov't fights criticism by U.S. group - CP

[sorrywrongemail]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hQ5z4opBZ4gQpgBjXWDu2_7ED7Ig or http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/673805

Ont. health minister defends system as gov't fights criticism by U.S. group

By Romina Maurino (CP) – 4 hours ago

TORONTO — Ontario's health minister is defending the province's track record as the government fights back in the case of a Hamilton-area woman whose story has become a source of ammunition for critics of U.S. health care reforms.

Responding to criticism that some Canadians are forced to travel south to get medical treatment they can't afford to wait for, Ontario Health Minister David Caplan said Wednesday the province is proud of its publicly funded system and is working to increase access to care and lower wait times.

"We have a system that provides universal coverage - the flaw in the American system is that first they check the size of your wallet, not the size of your need," said Caplan.

"Politics is not something which is really helping patients in Canada or the United States, but it seems like this is the culture in the United States."

There's a lovely little eBay thread about this, too, if you Google "Let's deport Shona Holmes."

Reuters has an article now, although you have the CMA hawking two-tier medicine as always:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE56S37T20090729

Canadians cry foul over U.S. healthcare attacks
Wed Jul 29, 2009 8:50am EDT


By Allan Dowd

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Canadian physician Robert Ouellet is tired of hearing Canada's healthcare system cast as the boogeyman in the vitriolic U.S. political debate over healthcare reform.

[iverglas]

1. do a search for Shona Holmes at youtube

You can go straight to the PatientsUnitedNow ad video, and join in with the heckling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBJGTcfcWGo

Two popular mirrors of the FoxNews Holmes interview have now been closed to comments and ratings. ;)

Also, my new crush:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuVviiFXOC4

"William S. Bates. Major, USMC (Ret), Vietnam veteran of Ottawa, Ontario"

He answered my PM and asked me to spread it around, so I am!