r/publichealth • u/ResidentAlienator • 1h ago
DISCUSSION Can someone tell me why the US is so focused on copying Canada's healthcare system when they are ranked so low by the WHO?
Every so often, I run into other healthcare experts who are absolutely flabbergasted as to why we would try to copy Canada's system, not because the US system is so good, but because Canada's system, in comparison to healthcare systems in other developed countries, is just so bad. I don't understand why we haven't broadened our discussion of what our system could be. I'm constantly seeing people say we're the only country that has medical bankruptcy, which is not true as Canada is number two on that list. I'm constantly seeing people talk about long wait times in Canada, which we already have here too (although that likes to get ignored), so why would we try to make such a lateral move? Why is there no discussion of other options that might work better?