Canadian politician travels to U.S. for surgery

[vince]

So when a dumb-ass Canadian politician goes to the US for treatment it's an indictment of universal healthcare. But when a dumb-ass American politician goes in the opposite direction, she's making it up.

Yeah right Star... gotcha :wink:

 

[vince]

That's even more proof that Palin shouldn't be talking about health care.

Evil, Socialized, Canadian Healthcare... bad for "real Americans", but not always bad for an American "like me". Gotta love the hypocrisy here! LOL!!

Yeah. Our fucking death panels are just useless. Look at who they let slip on through.

 

[SilverTrain]

Palin Crossed Border For Canadian Health Care

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- who has gone to great lengths to hype the supposed dangers of a big government takeover of American health care -- admitted over the weekend that she used to get her treatment in Canada's single-payer system.
Palin Crossed Border For Canadian Health Care

I really think this deserves its own thread.

Because I'm sure Fox News is going to be covering it.

 

[midlifebear]

I was posting and feeling sorry for myself (knee is healing, but it's true what they say about feeling the weather in your bones, and today it's been raining -- hard), then I go away for a walk and an espresso. I come back and suddenly the political forum is like Christmas, all new and full of shiny things. Just love it. And new folks have piped in -- finally.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

3. The skilled specialists seems to be (interestingly) all in the U.S.

Completely untrue.
Some of the very best mitral valve surgeons anywhere are in Toronto, London and Ottawa ... includingly surgeons using minimally invasive methods, which Williams wanted.
Williams is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
He is also a maverick.
He will do what he wants, and can afford doing anything.
His decision to go the U.S. for this surgery does not reflect at all on the skills of Canadian surgeons.
It does perhaps reflect on his over-reliance on the opinion of Lynn McGrath, the Nfld-born fellow Memorial University graduate who recommended Joe Lamelas at Mt. Sinai in Miami.

 

[B_starinvestor]

Completely untrue.
Some of the very best mitral valve surgeons anywhere are in Toronto, London and Ottawa ... includingly surgeons using minimally invasive methods, which Williams wanted.
Williams is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
He is also a maverick.
He will do what he wants, and can afford doing anything.
His decision to go the U.S. for this surgery does not reflect at all on the skills of Canadian surgeons.
It does perhaps reflect on his over-reliance on the opinion of Lynn McGrath, the Nfld-born fellow Memorial University graduate who recommended Joe Lamelas at Mt. Sinai in Miami.

In 2002, Jean Chretian went to California for treatment — and that's a Prime Minister.
Site attacks single-payer health care - Chris Frates - POLITICO.com

And in 2007 Belinda Stronarch also came to the US for life-saving breast cancer treatment.

View Appearance | C-SPAN Congressional Chronicle, Created by Cable. Offered as a Public Service.

Are there any U.S. citizens traveling to Canada or England in search of highly skilled specialists?

It looks like roughly 500,000 Americans travel abroad for treatment - but solely for financial reasons. For example, they get get liposuction or a set of tits a lot cheaper in the Dominican Republic.

http://www.oliverwillis.com/2010/03...icans-go-outside-the-country-for-health-care/

Just seems odd that high-profile Canadians have been traveling to the U.S. (including a Prime Minister) for high-risk treatment - if there is no drop-off in skill or specialty in Canada.

One example is nothing much.
Two examples is possibly more than a coincidence.
Three examples - you can't dismiss this.

 

[B_starinvestor]

So when a dumb-ass Canadian politician goes to the US for treatment it's an indictment of universal healthcare. But when a dumb-ass American politician goes in the opposite direction, she's making it up.

Yeah right Star... gotcha :wink:

One went across the border for cardiac surgery, the other for a sore throat.

BTW, I'm not indicting universal healthcare. I'm pointing out that the top specialists seem to be here (in the U.S.) I suppose that is the tradeoff. We can get more people insured under the universal system (supposedly,) but will be giving up some access to highly skilled specialists in time-sensitive scenarios.

Good with the bad, so to speak.

I believe that we could easily finance the implementation of national healthcare if we could require some of the able-bodied recipients of welfare and some other entitlement programs to perform a level of productive activity for society or the government - be it roadside cleanup, painting, working with local gov'ts to plant trees, work in parks, deliver food to the elderly, etc.

Anything more productive than laying around, etc.

 

[vince]

Trinity tried this months ago Star and got blown out of the water.

Belinda Stronarch had her "life-saving surgery" in Toronto. Under the auspices of O.H.I.P.

CBC News - Canada - Belinda Stronach in good spirits after breast-cancer operation

She had the cosmetic reconstruction done in LA. Where the best plastic surgeons in the world ply their trade. I would do the same if I were one of the wealthiest women in Canada.

You shouldn't quote liars like John Ensign.

 

[B_talltpaguy]

^The right has no regard for the facts, so don't expect any of the trolls this forum is infected with to revise the lies they tell people.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

In 2002, Jean Chretian went to California for treatment — and that's a Prime Minister.
Site attacks single-payer health care - Chris Frates - POLITICO.com

There is nothing in your reference that mentions Chretien.
Perhaps you meant to link to something else.

And in 2007 Belinda Stronarch also came to the US for life-saving breast cancer treatment.

As vince points out, you have this case wrong.

Just seems odd that high-profile Canadians have been traveling to the U.S. (including a Prime Minister) for high-risk treatment - if there is no drop-off in skill or specialty in Canada.

One example is nothing much.
Two examples is possibly more than a coincidence.
Three examples - you can't dismiss this.

Williams was taking the advice of a friend and former Memorial Uni colleague who didn't really know what he was talking about.
I am not of a mind to go searching (though I have seen a number of articles in the past couple of weeks), but there are several Canadian cardiac surgeons specializing in minimally invasive mitral valve surgery who are comparable to any surgeons anywhere in the world.
Your Stronach example is more wrong than right.
And as for your Chretien example ... well, you may come up with one, but you haven't yet.

(You should work on your spelling of the names of non-American politicians. Not Chretian, and not Stronarch. But never mind ...)

 

[cdarro]

As vince points out, you have this case wrong.
.......
Your Stronach example is more wrong than right.
And as for your Chretien example ... well, you may come up with one, but you haven't yet.

(You should work on your spelling of the names of non-American politicians. Not Chretian, and not Stronarch. But never mind ...)

To paraphrase you if I may, he is at best being economical with the truth in the Stronach instance. She had her cancer surgery in Toronto and later went to California for (reconstructive) cosmetic surgery.

In the Chretien instance, he is likely relying on Ezra "The Rant" Levant's website, ezralevant.com. For those of you don't know, Levant is a type of Bill O'Reilly wannabe who is a darling of the far right in Canada. He claims that Access to Information documents show that Chretien and his family visited the Mayo Clinic in 1999 but is a little short on details. The story then seems to have been parrroted on other similar websites. I stopped looking when I found 2 or 3 more with identical wording; they obviously came from the same source.

Something that I didn't see mentioned anywhere in this thread about Stronach is that her main claim to fame wasn't as a politician, but as the daughter of Frank Stronach, owner of Magna Industries and one of the richest men in Canada. He made a serious attempt to buy Chrysler corp. a few years ago, losing out to Daimler Benz.

 

[B_starinvestor]

To paraphrase you if I may, he is at best being economical with the truth in the Stronach instance. She had her cancer surgery in Toronto and later went to California for (reconstructive) cosmetic surgery.

Well I wouldn't suggest that cosmetic surgery holds any merit in the argument for surgical dominance. In fact, I wouldn't hold cosmetic surgery in any higher importance in medical importance than fashion or hairstyling.

If the source was inaccurate - my bad. I'm only as good as the information that I have access to.

In the Chretien instance, he is likely relying on Ezra "The Rant" Levant's website, ezralevant.com. For those of you don't know, Levant is a type of Bill O'Reilly wannabe who is a darling of the far right in Canada. He claims that Access to Information documents show that Chretien and his family visited the Mayo Clinic in 1999 but is a little short on details. The story then seems to have been parrroted on other similar websites. I stopped looking when I found 2 or 3 more with identical wording; they obviously came from the same source.

Again, thanks for pointing this out. I have no way of knowing this.

Something that I didn't see mentioned anywhere in this thread about Stronach is that her main claim to fame wasn't as a politician, but as the daughter of Frank Stronach, owner of Magna Industries and one of the richest men in Canada. He made a serious attempt to buy Chrysler corp. a few years ago, losing out to Daimler Benz.

Many times - one in the same.