I just had this discussion with someone else on a different forum (over at Lifehacker). For critical cases, Canada actually has better (shorter) wait times than those in the US despite appearances, because US stats list someone unable to pay (and therefore turfed from the building) as zero. Nighttime emergency care is substantially faster. In almost all cases where (with regards to emergency or critical care,) Canadian wait times come out longer, it's in studies based on patient perception, not actual wait times. Of course it's not just speed that counts. Outcomes in virtually every lifethreatening case are also significantly better in Canada including "a significant survival advantage in 13 out of 15 cancers, a 47% smaller mortality rate for renal disease, and 10% greater access to bone marrow transplants. Our system also costs our government a third less on a per-capita basis (total population, not just those uninsured.)
That said, if you want a knee replaement, it'll take you four weeks instead of two. That's quite the trade off.
http://www.pnhp.org/single_payer_resources/CAN_Comparison_Sheet.pdf
- Visit the Canadian Opera Blog
http://canadianopera.blogspot.com/