Busloads of Americans coming to the border to save some bucks on drugs
sound a lot
better than the busloads of Canadians going South to get timely badly
needed medical
care, due to long waiting lines at government run hospitals back home.
[Wall Street
Journal 7/23/02 "Socialized medicine is a real headache."]

Here in the UK healthcare is free at the point of delivery and is accessible
to everyone. I also have private health insurance provided by my employer
and that is for when I want non emergency treatment or treatment at my time
of choosing. For emergencies the National Health Service is as good as it
gets. For non urgent treatment like a hip replacement there could be a wait
of up to six months.

I have an impingement in my shoulder, possibly a torn rotator cuff. Using
the private insurance I have had an MRI scan, and got an appointment for
surgery set up for January after my Christmas Holiday in Florida. I could
have had the operation yesterday but the recovery might have got in the way
of the vacation (no flying).

Its all paid for out of taxes and is available on the basis of need not
wallet or insurance. It does leave us open to abuse as there are cases of
foreigners who fly in, get diagnosed as being ill and then get treatment. We
just have to live with that, it a mark of a civilised society and in a funny
Christian sort of way, turning the other cheek.

Its comforting knowing that if anyone in my family gets ill, I don't have to
worry about who pays.

On a more stupid point, over the counter drugs policy in the US is so
different from here.

For example, here Ibuprofen is sold only in blister packs of 16 tablets. It
is illegal to sell more. Yet last time I was in the US I bought a tub of 500
at Wal Mart for next to nothing. Here the reason is that these things are
considered dangerous (suicide) etc. Mid you if you go the urge to kill
yourself in Wal Mart, its easier and to get a gun and shoot yourself than
swallow 500 ibuprofen tablets.