ObamaCare versus NobamaCare

Being a Canadian and married to an American means having American in-laws, which means usually that once per visit, I will be asked by somebody on my wife's side of the family what I think of the Canadian Health Care system.

I used to be pretty smug about the Canadian system. Even after the time when we lived in Peterborough (1998) and found that family doctors were, uh, "rationed", and because once, in a pinch, we saw a GP in Lakefield about a bug that our son had, that one visit therefore committed us to that doctor to be our family doctor.

And when we wanted to find a family doctor in Peterborough, since that was where we actually lived, well, first we had to get a signed letter from the Lakefield doctor "releasing us from his care", as a precondition just to apply to a new GP starting practice in Peterborough to be his patients. So Dr NewDoctor, who had collected one or two PhD's before seeking the challenge of his MD (think: subsidized post-secondary education), interviewed us so he could determine if we would be suitable patients for his fledgling practice. Which, because of our relative youth (at the time) and lack of impending ailments, thusly we were found to be not suitable. In the which case we suddenly became orphans of the medical welfare state, having formally cut our ties with the Lakefield doctor but then being ajudged too healthy for the liking of the one doctor in Peterborough (population 67,000) who deigned to take on new patients.

But I still maintained the superiority complex, even up to the time in Trail BC (2001) when we felt our 18-year old son could stand an MRI as a follow-up on his neurofibromatosis. So after a preliminary consultation with our family GP, we obtained a referral to the nearest specialist, who was a 50 mile drive away (Nelson BC).

When the wait for that appointment with the specialist was finally over and my wife and son made the 50 mile (each way) drive, we possessed a referral for an MRI ... which placed our son on a waiting list ... which would take between 9 and 18 months to work through ... and would be performed in Calgary AB, a nine hour drive east.

We moved to Ontario at the end of 2002 and never did get a call for the MRI. But before we left BC, I had a brief discussion with my chief technologist at work. He was a Canadian, married to an American, and he spoke glowingly about the American health care system.

I asked him if he was a little off his rocker, since the Canadian system was still undeniably, er, incredibly, er, overwhelmingly, er, somewhat superior to the American health care system.

He replied that actually, he was doing the paperwork to be able to move to and work in the US. All because of the health care system.

"Hey Rob," he continued, pulling down his coveralls and opening up his shirt to reveal a gruesome scar on his chest. "I've got a pig valve in there."

"A what?" I meekly responded.

"A pig valve in my heart. I've got a piece of a pig in my heart. And," he went on, "the way I see it, if I'm living in the United States, and I need a repair to my heart, I'm going to get it."

"And it's going to cost you a fortune. It's going to bankrupt you!" I retorted.

"Exactly!" was his response.

I was not expecting that response.

"If I'm still in Canada, I'm on a waiting list" he continued. "And I'll probably die before I get repaired. If I'm in the US, I get it repaired the next day. And I'll be $75,000 in debt. And I am going to have to work the rest of my life to pay off that debt."

"But," he continued, "I would rather work the rest of my life to pay off that debt, than not have the rest of my life."

Which is one of the reaons why I, as a resident Canadian married to an American and with a keen interest in what is happening in the US, agree that ObamaCare must be stopped at all costs.