What is your opinion on Canadian healthcare? The last time we posed this question, in the article “
Was Trump right about Canadian health insurance?”, our forum was awash with views – both for and against the existing system here, north of the border. It seems many believe that Trump has a point – and now his campaign has been speaking out against the system once again.
“We don’t want the socialized healthcare they have in Canada – we want American solutions.”
That was the emotive quote delivered by Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence, who slammed Hillary Clinton for her compliments for Canada’s system, on Tuesday.
Under Clinton’s proposals, a public option or government-run insurance plan would be added to the existing system as a supplement rather than a replacement for the existing combination of private and public insurance.
However, according to a report in
The Toronto Star, Trump claimed to Rush Limbaugh that Canada’s system is a disaster in terms of its costs and that when Canadians need an operation they come to the United States – although official statistics suggest less than one per cent actually leave the country for such operations.
His words however, are in contrast to past remarks. In his book from 2000 he wrote that “we must have universal health care” and even praised the Canadian system noting that “the Canadian plans helps Canadians live longer and healthier than Americans”.
He has been consistent, however, in slamming the Obamacare system as a disaster – and it has come back to the fore this week after the announcement that average premiums for insurance purchased on its markets would rise more than 20% next year before subsidies.
Currently, polls in the USA are mixed with a Franklin and Marshall College poll placing Clinton ahead by as much as 11 points; and an ABC/Washington Post tracking poll suggesting Trump has a narrow lead by 46% to 45%.
Now our question is a little different – you’ve already had your say on Trump’s healthcare system, but now we want to know how you would vote, as Canadians, if you could have your say in this US election and why? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.
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Was Trump right about Canadian health insurance?
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