Canadians favour their health care to U.S. system: poll

OTTAWA -- Canadians think their American neighbours would be wise to look north as they grapple with a massive health-care overhaul.

That's the conclusion drawn from a new poll published as Capitol Hill legislators debate a plan to cover nearly all Americans with government-run health insurance.

The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey suggests 82 per cent of Canadians believe our system is better than U.S. health care.

The Canadian health-care system has been in the spotlight for weeks at congressional hearings, where it has alternately been characterized as the gold standard and a rusty system plagued with problems and delays.

By the end of the month, the House of Representatives hopes to vote on a health reform plan, and U.S. President Barack Obama has said he wants legislation by October.

Last week, the two leaders of the Senate health committee announced that they'd come up with a government-run insurance option to compete with private insurance plans.