Obama's Health Care Plan −
How Does this Version Stack Up Against Canada's?


Even if you are not a US citizen, you could not escape the fierce debate that went on for the better part of the last year regarding fixing the country's health care system. If you turned on the TV, you would see this topic being debated by not only onscreen hosts and guests, but also by people rallying together expressing their support or resentment of the proposed changes. President Obama felt this it was something he had to tackle first, not only because he campaigned on the issue, but also because it is simply something that needs to be addressed in the country. The US health care has fallen behind many others in terms of the quality of care its citizens receive and also in terms of how costly it is for US residents to receive medical treatment.

During the debate, many people brought up the fact that the US system falls short of the government fund, single-payer health care systems, which are widely accepted and praised in places like Canada and the UK. Now that the government has finished debating and the president has signed a final bill, how does this new version of American health care stack up against the single−payer system that is in place in Canada? Many have been adamant that the system isn't addressing the core issues and still won't change much. These people are planning on still buying their medications online through Canadian pharmacies, for a much cheaper price than what they would have paid in the US.

One of the biggest complaints about President Obama's approach to health care was that he simply wouldn't get rid of the for−profit health insurance companies and give the American people a single−payer system. He said that this would be too different and would be too much of a shock to the current system. Instead, he wanted a system that had both private companies, but with an additional government run system that people could use. This is mirroring the combined system that France has setup, and they are considered to have the greatest health care system in the world. This will cause many to continue buying their medications from online Canadian pharmacies. Therefore buying ddavp spray or other medications you may need from Canada is the best way to save time and money.

Another complaint that is levied against the president's proposed health care system is that it will cover all individuals, but only because it is requiring every person to purchase health care from a private company. While the bill that was passed didn't do anything to outlaw the practice of American citizens purchasing drugs from Canadian pharmacies online, it is certainly surprising that it didn't.