Hello, Canadians of Lemmy! Down in the USA there is a lot of conflicting information regarding the efficacy of y’alls healthcare systems. Without revealing my personal bias, I was hoping for some anecdotes or summaries from those whom actually live there.
Yeah, I think that’s a misconception that many Canadians have about privatization. Some people get the impression that the US must have no wait and that means private healthcare is better. But while they certainly do have less or a wait, it’s not a difference that I think most people would consider worth it if they saw numbers. There’s diminishing returns. The difference between getting a surgery tomorrow or in one month is huge. But getting it in 8 months instead of 10 months isn’t so big.
I’m sure if you have enough money, you could get any kind of healthcare in the US next day, but not for normal people prices.
I think proponents of privatization like to push this misconception because the idea of reduced wait is really the only thing they have going for them and they’re happy to reap the benefits of misconceptions.