The Current

Health Care Battle: U.S. vs. Canada

Aside from her patients, few Canadians had heard of Dr. Danielle Martin until last week, when she went to Washington to talk to a US Senate subcommittee about how our health care system operates. Dr. Martin joins us to debate an American doctor about healthcare on both sides of the border....
Aside from her patients, few Canadians had heard of Dr. Danielle Martin until last week, when she went to Washington to talk to a US Senate subcommittee about how our health care system operates. Dr. Martin joins us to debate an American doctor about healthcare on both sides of the border.
There are many examples of people in the media like Canadian Brian McCreath who came to the US because he was told by his primary care doctor that he might have a brain tumour but the wait for a MRI was very long. He spent the $1000, came to the US, paid out of pocket.Sally Pipes from the Pacific Research Institute speaking at the Senate Sub Committee

 

Last week Dr. Danielle Martin answered questions from Senator Richard Burr in Washington DC. She was the Canadian voice on a panel of international experts explaining how healthcare is delivered outside the United States. And let's face it; it was an epic smackdown.


Here's another clip of Dr. Martin's testimony and a teaser of the debate we aired: 

   
                       
  • Dr. Danielle Martin is Vice-President of Medical Affairs and Health System Solutions at Women's College Hospital. She also practices as a family physician and is an associate professor at the University of Toronto. Dr. Danielle Martin was in our Toronto studio.

  • Dr. Christopher Casscells is an orthopedist and Director of the Health Policy division at the Caesar Rodney Institute in Delaware. We reached him in Wilmington, Delaware.

What are your thoughts on this discussion? What can Canada teach the US about how to deliver healthcare? And should the States be taking our advice anyway?

Tweet us @thecurrentcbc. Or e-mail us through our website. Find us on Facebook. Call us toll-free at 1 877 287 7366. And as always if you missed anything on The Current, grab a podcast.

This segment was produced by The Current's Sarah Grant.