I have two friends—yes, it’s true, I have friends—who recently experienced disturbing neurological symptoms that suggested possible stroke or brain tumor. One lives in Canada. This friend reported the symptoms immediately, and the physician ordered an MRI—which was scheduled four weeks later! My other friend, an American, also quickly reported the symptoms. This friend’s HMO had a CAT scan scheduled within hours and an MRI the next morning!
Thankfully, both friends are fine. But what a difference in finding out they were fine. And what a different course each might have had were their symptoms caused by serious medical conditions!
The kind of health care system we adopt matters. Obamacare will push us toward a far more bureaucratized Canadian-style approach to medicine, one consequence of which will be diagnostic bottlenecks and increased waits for crucial tests—such as my Canadian friend was forced to endure. The dramatically different experiences of my two friends involved with strikingly similar scenarios vividly demonstrates why the Obamacare approach is wrong for America.
