There was something about the Canadian health care was closer given that they were in rural Alaska.

STILL.........

As for the death panels, on more than one occasion I've felt the need to mention the case of my late husband who, diagnosed with terminal cancer at age 88, was immediately lined up for chemo. When he declined, the system got him set up with palliative visits and ultimately (tho he died beforehand) palliative placement.

Thanks for the info about your late husband (I'm sorry), Myriad!

IMO, even if the Canadian health care was closer, the fact that the family used it multiple times shows that it was good enough to come back (for more).

Kanuk, thank you for writing and shedding light on who Sarah Palin really is. Hypocrisy does not even begin to describe this unconscionable woman. I fear she will wink, nod, and cutesy her way into a position of power, because, yes, people are just that ignorant.

Anyway, thanks again, I really enjoyed reading.

Stephanie

Stephanie: Thank you very much! This is indeed very hypocritical of her to trash our system for political gain (or for other purposes), but she was happy enough to use it several times in the past.

Thanks, donnastreet! Greatly appreciated.

Note: The following is not a defence of Palin. The important part of this story is her hypocrisy in denouncing "socialized medicine" as inadequate and telling Canadians that we need to switch to a profit-based private system but then she later admits that, in fact, Canadian health care was perfectly good for her family to return to several times.

But: There seems to be an assumption among most Americans commenting on this story on Open Salon and at Daily Kos that Palin was fraudulently obtaining free health care in Canada. Nothing in her statement caused this Canadian to even consider that possibility. I don't know if it's rooted in an American superiority complex found even among liberals, the assumption that there could be no good reason to get health care in Canada except for the fact that it's free. Actually, it's probably more rooted in ignorance about the health care systems in Canada and the assumption that we have a "national system" administered by the federal government.

I lived in Washington State for four years and after returning to my native Ontario I had to wait three months before I was entitled to coverage by OHIP (the Ontario Health Insurance Program run by the province). During that time I, luckily, had private insurance paid for by my employer. (Such private insurance for basic medical care is not a common thing here, just geared toward visitors and new residents.) During those first three months, I had to visit a hospital ER. I had to pay the costs myself, directly - a couple hundred dollars. It was amusing to watch the one person in the hospital's payment office dig around to find the credit card machine. Then I had to submit the receipts to the private insurance company and I got reimbursed by them later.

So, sure, it's possible that there was some fraud going with Palin, but the mere fact that she want to Canada for medical care is no indication of that. Such cross-border travel for health care happens fairly often in the Canadian and American west and north, where there are small settlements in the middle of nowhere. If the nearest city or town with a full hospital is on the other side of the border, it is normal for people from very small places on the other side to go there for care, and this traffic happens both ways, and it has nothing to do with the benefits or drawbacks of either the American or Canadian systems.

Even in non-remote places, this happens. Windsor, Ontario is a city with more than one full hospital, but it is just south of Detroit across a river, so many Windsor-area people will be sent to the Detroit hospital for very specialized, technical care. And London, Ontario has university/teaching/research hospitals doing groundbreaking work in some areas, some involving pediatric procedures, so it's not unusual to hear about children from the US being sent to a London hospital for specialized, innovative treatment for a rare condition.

Of course, such cross-border medical visits are only cited in the American health care debate if they are in the Canada --> USA direction.

More info: I had to visit the ER again recently, now having OHIP coverage. I showed my Ontario Health Card (very much like a driver's licence) to the triage/admitting nurse and other than that, there was no paperwork or anything related to insurance that I had to discuss. After I'd seen an ER doctor, I just walked out. I never got a receipt/invoice or saw the bill. Why would I?

DonOntario: Thanks for the additional information. I agree we cannot say that she actually committed fraudulent activities (as I wrote above). We do not know all the details. The main issue for me, as you mentioned, is that you do not put down the entire health care system (I know each province has its own system, but the basic principle is a Canadian one), and then admit that you used it several times. If you do, you must be satisfied enough, so much so that the Canadian health care delivery was even better than the Alaskan one (even if you lived in a remote area).

Congrats on the cover. It's good to publicize these things (even tho OS is pretty much The Choir, with a couple of grumblers shooting the occasional spitball).

Agreed.

And congratulations on getting "Editor's Pick" status!

I doubt this will make her any less popular among the true believers.

health care figures significantly in my fam. my great uncle was one of sev. MDs who founded the county hospital. my father, a native cn. retired there, & died in that hosp. their system differs from ours in numerous ways, their dr's aren't pd anything like ours, but currently i have cousins in ontario, so i can see comparisons. our drs & pharmacy companies are just more larcenous, where as the canadians have good laws conscientiously enforced.

Myriad and Don: You're welcome!

Luluand: Thanks to you too!

The Spaulding Twins: Agreed. This should not change people's mind.

ben: very good point. I talked extensively on this and other topics on health care in previous posts.

How not surprising that this family of grifters used to leech off of the Canadian healthcare system.
Just watch- if Sarah Palin says national healthcare is OK, then her moron followers will suddenly proclaim it's OK. Just like the windfall tax on oil companies suddenly became a good thing among the know-nothings once it was found out that Gov. Palin instituted it in Alaska.

What this also proves is that Sarah Palin is NOT a polished politician, otherwise she never would have volunteered a nugget of info like that. Rated.

That Palin is a real piece of work!

@Bill Beck - her fans frighten me even more than she does.

Funny thing about that SP...she was actually booked to come to Ontario and speak to a lucky paying audience as a FUNDRAISER for a CANADIAN HOSPITAL.

Oddly enough, the hospital reconsidered. Possibly after firing a fundraiser or two.

Honestly, we don't need Sarah Palin or any of her family here...we have enough morons to go around already.

I've always admired the Canadian health care system. When I brought up Canada, rather than Sweden, as an economic model for the American Left in 1990, I was told, "They take care of their people up there."

The only drawback I see with the United States adopting a Canadian style health care system is the expenditure: Canada (for obvious reasons!) doesn't have the same kind of bloated defense budget the U.S. has, and can afford to provide for its people.

My friend Sterling Portier (a black vegetarian who died of AIDS at the end of 1995) commented in early 1991 that there were flaws in the Canadian system, and he seemed skeptical of the Left adopting it as an economic model.

But hey, if it's good enough for Sarah Palin, it should be good enough for the rest of America, right?

Maybe Palin's words will convince the rest of her party to heed the President's call for bipartisanship on this issue; especially since we (Dems) lost a filibuster-proof majority in Congress.

@Vasu:
The systems in Canada definitely have their flaws. However, expenditures is not a reason why it wouldn't work in the US. Total health care spending in Canada by all levels of government plus by employers, insurance companies, and by individuals is less per capita than total spending in the US. If the US were to adopt a Canadian-style system wholesale, the US government and people would save a significant amount of money.

Of course, I realize that starting from scratch and adopting such a system wholesale in the States is not practically politically feasible.

NEW DEVELOPMENT - her family may not have come to Canada, or at least the story varies depending on the audience...

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/03/08/palin-canada-health.html#ixzz0he7jtNtA

Vasu - just another footnote about Canadian health care - I know some AIDS people, and they say they get top of the line care, all the latest treatments.

Typical "Ugly Americans" who spit at the rest of the world while they exploit it.

Here's a thought: Instead of dragging your bloated, infected, gun-toting asses across the Canadian border to steal our socialized health care, how about a few less trips to McDonald's instead, EH?

Wow, unbridled hypocrisy, she'll say anything to asuage whoever is listening... except people dying with no, or crappy, healthcare in her own country.

An excellent and telling post about the "real" Sarah Palin. Logic seems to play no part in this woman's life.

Thanks to everyone who have commented. Many of you made very good points and some very funny at that.

Myriad: Thank you for the link. I guess we’ll see where this story is going. Given the uproar, she may decide to change her narrative. This reminds me of Brock Lesnar, the former WWE wrestler and current UFC heavy weight champion, who recently compared the Canadian health care system to those from Third World countries because of a bad experience in a Manitoba’s hospital. When asked which one, he refused to say where it happened. This was a cheap shot in my humble opinion.

Health Care is a basic, fundamental human right, along with housing, work, education and food. I am sick of compromising and kowtowing to red-baiting conservatives. We must stick to our guns and not give up on this fight.

Dr. Dach and Rwoo5g: Thanks for your comments. I agree with your discussion points.

This Californian spends a lot of time in Ontario, Canada.. 'cause my BFF lives here. He comes out of hospital today with a new pacemaker. In the last 3 weeks he has made two trips to emerg, as it's called here. The 1st was in an ambulance. After several tests and visits by two specialists he was released with a diagnosis (periocarditis), instructions and medication. A week later I drove him back. This time his heart beat was wildly irregular.. more tests, including cat scan, and he was admitted into a room for two. He had two doctors, one a specialist; he had skilled nurses; he was served basic well planned meals. (I compare with insurance paid care I received in California a couple of years ago). today, 11 days later, he will be released with a pacemaker, instructions, and medication. He will be followed in a local heart clinic. He will owe nothing... he won't even receive any administrivia to file. Now that is hard to get used to! What a civilized attitude.

by the way, when I am in Ontario I am not entitled to Ontario health care... But I do receive care from time to time. For example, I needed blood tests every two weeks in order to regulate my coumadin (blood clots) I pay for that. The cost seems to be very reasonable.

Whoops... guess there aren't any death panels. My BFF was 85 when he was admitted with pneumonia last summer and 86 when he was admitted with heart failure and given a pacemaker.

Train Ryder: Thanks a lot for really Praising Canadian Health Care! I have also used the same kind example in one of my other posts on health care. I’m glad to see that other people have experienced that no death panels exist up north.

As a child, getting health care over the border, in Canada wasn't her decision to make. If her parents thought it was in their and their kids advantage to do that, she is not to blame. But since hes story is kind of controversial, she could have just kept it to herself and not stir up a morality debate over her affirmations and actions.
Narconon

I lived in Washington State for four years and afterwards abiding to my built-in Ontario I had to delay three months afore I was advantaged to advantage by OHIP (the Ontario Bloom Allowance Program run by the province). During that time I, luckily, had clandestine allowance paid for by my employer. (Such clandestine allowance for basal medical affliction is not a accepted affair here, just geared against visitors and new residents.) During those aboriginal three months, I had to appointment a hospital ER. I had to pay the costs myself, anon - a brace hundred dollars. It was agreeable to watch the one being in the hospital's transaction appointment dig about to acquisition the acclaim agenda machine. Then I had to abide the receipts to the clandestine allowance aggregation and I got reimbursed by them later.

So, sure, it's accessible that there was some artifice traveling with Palin, but the simple actuality that she wish to Canada for medical affliction is no adumbration of that. Such cross-border biking for bloom affliction happens adequately generally in the Canadian and American west and north, area there are baby settlements in the average of nowhere. If the abutting city-limits or boondocks with a abounding hospital is on the added ancillary of the border, it is accustomed for humans from actual baby places on the added ancillary to go there for care, and this cartage happens both ways, and it has annihilation to do with the allowances or drawbacks of either the American or Canadian systems.
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I've consistently admired the Canadian bloom affliction system. When I brought up Canada, rather than Sweden, as an bread-and-butter archetypal for the American Left in 1990, I was told, "They yield affliction of their humans up there."

The alone check I see with the United States adopting a Canadian appearance bloom affliction arrangement is the expenditure: Canada (for accessible reasons!) doesn't accept the aforementioned affectionate of aggrandized aegis account the U.S. has, and can allow to accommodate for its people.

My acquaintance Sterling Portier (a atramentous vegetarian who died of AIDS at the end of 1995) commented in aboriginal 1991 that there were flaws in the Canadian system, and he seemed agnostic of the Left adopting it as an bread-and-butter model.

But hey, if it's acceptable abundant for Sarah Palin, it should be acceptable abundant for the blow of America, right?

Maybe Palin's words will argue the blow of her affair to heed the President's alarm for bipartisanship on this issue; abnormally back we (Dems) absent a filibuster-proof majority in Congress.
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