Anne Ferguson, my virtual assistant, was kind enough to forward me this article about health care in Canada. It gives a good overview of how their system works, how the single payer system interacts with private insurance and debunks some myths; for instance that Canadians can’t pay their doctors.
One data point that the article mentions is just how much time and effort doctors’ offices in the US put into complying with and arguing with insurance companies, rather than doctoring. With over 100 insurance companies to potentially navigate through, the payment system becomes complex, costly and burdensome. Surely there must be a better way…