Does everyone is the U.S.A. believe the lie that Canada and Britain "prioritize" the health care

[glarius]

of our citizens? I just saw Pawlenty on Morning Joe saying that our government decides on who lives or dies. He didn't use those words, but that was what he was saying.
As a Canadian who lives with our health care system, I am sick and tired of the way the right wing is lying and making it look like our citizens are dying in the streets for lack of care. The phony ad they were showing with Shona Holmes saying she would have died in Canada with a brain cancer because the government wouldn't allow her timely treatment is a bald-faced lie. In the first place she didn't have a brain tumor!. What she had (and the reason why she was given a few months to wait in Canada) was a condition called Rathke's Cleft Cyst, on her pituitary gland. "Rathke's Cleft Cysts are not true tumors or neoplasms; instead they are benign cysts." The medical community in Ontario, where she lives, knew this and scheduled other, urgent cases ahead of her for surgery....which is quite reasonable.
I notice they aren't playing this ad on CNN anymore, since she was exposed in Canada as a liar!
What really bugged me is the way NOBODY on the Morn. Joe panel disputed Pawlenty's assertion.
DISGUSTING!
P.S....Pawlenty used the word "prioritize"

[orpupilofnature57]

1. They have an Agenda and duty to the 12% ,truth ruins the flow.

[el_bryanto]

2. It is one of the frusterating things about the Healthcare debate that three facts are not brought up

again and again.

The United States provides poor health care compared to the rest of the world.

The United States spends more money compared to the rest of the world.

There are a variety of medical plans used, all of which have some benefits and some drawbacks, and all of them better than our current nonsensical system.

Bryant

[stray cat]

3. of course there are limits and priorities - there always are in any system.

How could anyone pay without being selective in how much is paid and what is done.

[glarius]

4. There are NO life or death decisions made by our government!!!!

All medical decisions are made by our doctors and patients. The government pays the bills....PERIOD!

[ejpoeta]

7. exactly. the people who like things just the way they are don't want people to think

about all the times their insurance has denied payment for something.... the insurance companies have people who work for them whose sole purpose is to find ways to deny care and deny payment... regardless of what they are denying it for. that's why you have dead 17 year olds in california who needed a transplant.... people are kidding themselves if they don't think that is what's going on with the system we have. people who know nothing about the person getting between patient and doctor every day in order to make money. and their motivation isn't the best interest of the patient, but they get a bonus for saving the company money by denying care.

[HereSince1628]

5. Well, her Canadian doctors did prioritize, and so do US doctors

pri·or·i·ty (pr-ôr-t, -r-)
n. pl. pri·or·i·ties
1. Precedence, especially established by order of importance or urgency.
2.
a. An established right to precedence.
b. An authoritative rating that establishes such precedence

You wrote:
"The medical community in Ontario, where she lives, knew this and scheduled other, urgent cases ahead of her for surgery....which is quite reasonable."

Which meets the definition in 1 and also 2b

Doctors in the US do exactly the same thing, for example, some transplant patients get placed high into waiting lists depending on the assessment criteria.

As you wrote it _is_ reasonable for health providers to do this.

[ejpoeta]

6. no, not everyone believes it. unfortunately, we have a group of folks in this country

that instead of finding out things for themselves will take the word of tv news personalities. It sounds like you have folks in your country who, like in ours, think their medical issues should trump everyone else's and then get mad when they can't sent to the head of the line before perhaps people who will actually DIE if they aren't taken care of immediately. People like that tend to complain about the system because they think they deserve preferential treatment. So, I guess in canada they DO prioritize... malignant tumor is more pressing than benign cyst. better that than how it is in this country.... if you have money or good insurance, you get treated... if you don't, then screw you.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. I sure don't.

[riverbendviewgal]

9. This disturbs me as well. My son had same tumor is Teddy's

On April 17, 1998 my son had seizures at work. No signs of anything before this of any problems. He was almost 25. 3 days later after ct scans and mri's he was operated on. It was biopsied as Glioblastoma Multiforme of the brain. He had a world renowned Toronto surgeon operate on him. He also had radiation, chemotherapy, home nursing and was in intensive care for 4 weeks after his 3rd brain operation. He was in palliative care in the same hospital for a week before he died, October 28, 1999.
His dad was diagnosed two months after our son with Non-Hod kins Lymphoma, He had radiation, chemo, operation, stem cell harvest for the heavy dose chemo he was getting, a month long hospital stay for that and then 3 months in palliative care after the cancer came back again. He died May 21, 2001.
What did it cost us. Nothing. zilch. zero.

My friend had seizures in 2002. It was determined she had a brain tumor but a slow growing one. She had seizures again in 2006 and was operated on . Has been on disability since. The cancer has come back but near her liver now. She just finished chemo and radiation.

There are different kinds of brain growths, some benign and some malignant. Our doctors are pretty smart up here to be able to tell the urgent ones from the not so urgent.

I was so ticked off when I saw that "Canadian " on the tv ad spouting lies about our Canadian health care.
Canada is the best country to live in. I am American born but Canadian by choice and will stay Canadian forever. My brother Bubba, who lives in NJ, thinks I am nuts and crazy for sending him articles about one -payer system. He is right out of the book Deer hunting With Jesus. He is a "birther" as well. He says Nancy Pelosi should be shot. He hates Obama.
I am thankful to see via DU there are sane Americans. This is Obvious as Obama is now president.
Good Luck America.

[glarius]

11. Welcome to Canada....I also speak from personal experience

when it comes to health care. My husband also had timely and great treatment for heart problems and cataracts. And of course we paid zero.
It is shameful how the right wing crazies are effecting what Pres. Obama is trying to do.
Good luck America...we love you and are with you.!!

[slipslidingaway]

10. And the Democrats will not combat the lies, because they do not

want to open up the discussion of a national, not for profit system.

:(

[glarius]

12. They also keep repeating the lie that we don't choose our own doctors

and constantly repeat the lie that the government comes between us and our doctors. A LIE! I myself changed doctors a few years ago. I'm a woman and I learned of a new female doctor in town so changed to her. My previous doctor I had also chosen myself and simply wanted to have a woman doctor when I changed. As I have said many times in this forum...the only thing the government does is pay the bills. The doctors and hospitals make all the decisions.