Comments from a Canadian on nationalized health care

In criticizing the prospect of a national health care system here in the U.S., the right wing will often paint a horrific picture of national health care systems in other countries like Canada and England. They talk about very long waits to see a doctor, rationing of care, and other myths.

Don't believe the spin. As Michael Moore illustrated in his movie SiCKO, people in countries that have a national health care system are generally very happy with the service they receive. And they're a lot healthier than we are, as highlighted by the fact that the U.S. ranks 37th in the World Health Organization's ratings of the world's health systems (below Malta, Iceland, Saudi Arabia, and numerous other countries that might surprise you).

Recently, a Canadian woman shared her thoughts with me about her own country's health care system, and how the right wing in America has been stretching the truth about it:

I am a Canadian woman, 52, and I am disgusted at how our health care system has been presented in the U.S. I moved from Ontario to British Columbia last year, had a choice of three local MDs, found one in a day, and have never waited more than five minutes to see him.

Yes, there are some areas in Canada that have shortages of doctors and nurses, but overall we are lucky here. No one up here loses their home over medical bills. If you polled Canadians and asked us if we would rather have our system or yours, I bet you would have either 100 percent or close to it in favor of what we have.
Who in their right mind would not want health care offered by the state? How crazy is that? I don't understand it at all. Isn't something better than nothing, for those who have no coverage?

Yes, the answer seems so obvious. But, unfortunately, here in the U.S. we have a government run by the rich and greedy, where health is treated as a commodity. And that just seems sick. (Pun unintended.)