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Ontario Woman defends anti-Canadian Style Health Care Ad
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by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | July 21, 2009 at 03:43 pm
3880 views | 80 Recommendations | 39 comments
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Canada's Health Care System is being used as a political pawn in the U.S. debate on Health Care Reform.
What is not being told by Patients United, that no one has come to Canada to actually look at the system in various regions. Patients United says they did not do any investigations in Canada, but that Canadians had come to them with their stories.
Shona Holmes, a Canadian woman that appears in U.S. anti-Canadian style health care ad, has defended her participation. She says she would have died had she relied on Canadian Health Care.
Holmes had a brain tumor and mortgaged her house for $100,000 and received treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She is currently suing the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) to recover the cost of treatment.
In an interview on CBC she said she did not get paid for the ad, except for her expenses, which she hasn't submitted yet. She said she felt she had a responsibility to speak out.
The ad was run by an anti Obama care group, Patients United Now.
In the ad Holmes says she would have died had she relied on Canadian Health Care.
Read also The Misinformation of the Canadian Health Care System
Shona Holmes story in CNNs Reality Check: Canada's Government Health Care System
Ottawa Citizen Reality Check on Reality Check:
Holmes, from Waterdown, Ont., said she would have died had she relied on the Canadian health-care system and waited to see a specialist. Instead, she mortgaged her home, paid $100,000 and was treated at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She is currently suing OHIP to recoup those costs.
"Every time that I decide I'm not going to do anything more for this situation or the cause — not this particular ad campaign, I don’t meant that — but about speaking out against our health-care system, I get another really sad phone call or desperate phone call of somebody who is tragically trying to get treatment in Canada and can't.
"And I felt that I really had a responsibility to speak out."
The advertisement is being run by a conservative group opposed to U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to involve the government playing a role in reforming U.S. health care.
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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke
Redwater, Alberta, Canada
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (39)
at 16:08 on July 21st, 2009
Good update to this ongoing story
at 16:14 on July 21st, 2009
Thank you Amy:)
at 16:27 on July 21st, 2009
Neither plan is perfect.
Each has good and bad points
at 16:33 on July 21st, 2009
Perfect is an illusion in anything.
at 16:54 on July 21st, 2009
good story AC
at 17:00 on July 21st, 2009
Thanks Barry
at 17:03 on July 21st, 2009
"What is not being told by Patients United, that no one has come to Canada to actually look at the system in various regions". I heard this earlier on some news channel, thought it was quite interesting, to say the least.
Why not take a slice of "life" in Canada, and get a general consensus? I think they'd find that the majority of Canadians are happy with the health care system they have.
at 17:14 on July 21st, 2009
Blue Crush, I totally agree as you can read in my previous story The Misinformation of the Canadian Health Care System., link above, most Canadians would not trade this system which adequately cares for us.
The Obama Health Care Reform is not modelled after the Canadian system. It is a mixture of private insurance and government insurance. It is intended to be run at the Federal level, which the Canadian system is not.
The sad thing as I see it, Americans spend more per capita on health care than we do in Canada. I think that may be the fear, that there will be another system that mirrors Medicare and Medicaid, which is very expensive.
at 17:22 on July 21st, 2009
Do you know that she didn't have a brain tumour?
She had a cyst - one that could have caused her discomfort but not really life threatening.
"Rathke’s Cleft Cyst can indeed cause more serious symptoms if left untreated, but it is generally very treatable through minimally invasive surgery and NOT a “brain tumor” as both Ms Holmes and Right wing hack writers contend."
Just thought I would letyaknow.
at 17:30 on July 21st, 2009
Thanks for this, maybe the CBC should have had that article this afternoon to query her on it.
at 17:50 on July 21st, 2009
They can always retrace the interview by asking supplemental questions, ACP.
Maybe you should mail it to them ;)
at 18:16 on July 21st, 2009
Have a look at the two links in the main story now:
CNNs Reality Check and the Ottawa Citizens Reality Check on a Reality Check.
Interesting reads to say the least:)
at 18:59 on July 21st, 2009
No link ACP.
{edit} got it.
at 18:11 on July 21st, 2009
ty for the update...canadian health system is not perfect but a lot better than no health care system at all...
at 18:16 on July 21st, 2009
Thank you marianmo:)
at 18:48 on July 21st, 2009
Thanks for this Roy. Good find.
at 19:00 on July 21st, 2009
I think it is inaccurate to label the US as having "no health care system". There are various health care facilities that offer free or on a scaled fee system to the public. However, these medical centers are generally overcrowded by those who can not afford health insurance.
It is true that Americans pay high prices for medical insurance and there are many Americans who are not insured at all or rather, can not afford health insurance.
I'm not so sure about Ms. Holmes being "used" as so much as she is willingly speaking up about her decision and choice.
at 19:06 on July 21st, 2009
Well, her tumour was not malignant and she could have waited. The Doctors knew that and made the call.
She is now most likely being paid by the US anti Health Care Lobby financing her US surgery by the US Lobby for Health insurance.
Maybe she should move to the US and stay there since she likes it so much, give up her Health care in Canada.
A US doctor saying other wise is making money on her.
The US health care is used by a minority of Canadian.
at 19:25 on July 21st, 2009
I agree Paschen. In most cases it's a choice someone makes because they believe a better treatment is available, or one that hasn.t been approved in Canada yet. As an example I have friend that was diagnosed with prostate cancer and he chose to get a new treatment in California that was not available in Alberta. His bill was 75,000. His comment was what is my life worth. The point being that it was a personal choice. Of course he will go after the Alberta government to have it paid for.:)
at 19:37 on July 21st, 2009
There are treatments available in Japan that are not approved in the US and vice versa. Same is true with Europe and China.
And some American will fly all the way to China or Europe to get those treatments as well as the other way around.
The problem with that is that statistically we can not say that it is of any benefit since the mortality rates and relapses are the same.
Those that have money will use it and try any thing to stay alive or get a cure even if logic would say other wise they are desperate and in a panic mode wish does not make sound decisions at all.
I have seen people go all the way to Niger or Cameroon to see a witch doctor to get cured and they swear by it. Science has proven that more then 50% of the cure is with the patient moral and scicological make up.
Just do not tell that to the patient you want to make money on.
at 19:44 on July 21st, 2009
Amen
at 19:10 on July 21st, 2009
Thank you very much for your views Pythiian. Everyone seems to agree that the Health Care Reform is needed, it seems the way to get there is what is in dispute.
Canadians are generally satisfied with our system. It comes under the heading you can please some of the people some of the time but you can't please everyone all the time.
Both Canada and the United States can come up with horror stories that happen in Emergency rooms daily. All we have to do is look at all those malpractice suits being brought forward. That is not the general rule though.
at 19:10 on July 21st, 2009
If she gave evidence before a senate committee and said she had a brain tumour and, in reality she didn't, isn't that perjury and a federal offence? Or am I wrong on that?
Not up on American law in this aspect.
at 19:42 on July 21st, 2009
It is still perjury since the law is very clear that ignorance does not protect from prosecution if perjury or a crime is committed.
She did that for what, financial gain and her 15 minutes of fame?
She should be tried and jailed.
at 19:46 on July 21st, 2009
She didn't say it under oath and if that was the standard we would have to jail every politician and talk show host.
at 19:53 on July 21st, 2009
:) most likely. Still the law is rather clear on that and if used to the letter we may end up with jails being filed with Politicians and others in deed. But they usually have a lot of money as well and can afford great lawyers and maybe why no one bothers to try to jail them any longer since it is to much of a ...
at 19:57 on July 21st, 2009
I got that last part loud and clear:)
at 23:20 on July 21st, 2009
Funny how in Canada she cán actually sue healthcare, because she feels it fell short. In America she would have had no one to sue. No one fell short, because if she hadn't paid no one would have cared. The irony is that she will probably still be better off under the Canadian system. She might get her money back and she won't have to take out yet another mortgage for a next treatment - which she might not be able to afford down south.
I wonder who her next ad appearance is going to be for - when she has no money left.
at 10:01 on July 22nd, 2009
is there actually a doctor in canada that says she needed surgery immediately or she would die? sure she ran down to the u.s and got great treatment, because she brought a great deal of money. Americans are misinformed and mostly ignorant to the workings of our system. I've had absolutely no problems with this system and most canadians would agree. Anyone who looks at this commercial and believes the load of bullshit that a bunch lobbyists want you to believe so they dont lose their billions of dollars in health care insurance money.
at 16:00 on July 22nd, 2009
There hasn't been a doctor in Canada that said that. In fact, in the interview with CBC they only concentrated on her story. CBC should have been aware of the cyst instead of tumour because it is out there. I agree that Patients United is using her to push their agenda. I think the spin on either side of U.S Health Care Reform is remarkable.