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health care

I know this is off-topic, but (1) I didn't start it (Vlasis did), &
(2) it's nice to have data to present to Buzzard767's misleading reply.

Anyway, B767 said in response to Vlasis' extolling of Canadian healthcare;

"The Canadians come to the US when they need something done now."

This is the Wall Street Journal's opinion, and while any individual
can do anything, the inference that US health care is better is wrong.

The death rate is an excellent health care indicator among comparable
countries. 
Conveniently, today's Dec 28/94 NY Times has them for a bumch of
countries, using 1988 stats (for some reasons).

The USA death rate is 9.26 per thousand members of the population.
The Canadian death rate is 7.93 per thousand, etc.
That's about 16.8% better for Canada (despite the harsher climate).
There are other differences in the society (higher US homicide rate,
etc.) but basically it is attributable to the differences in the
organization of health care.

BTW, 15 other developed countries have lower (better) death rates than
the US.

Having just returned to Canada from caring for my American mother in
south Florida, I also want to point out that the STRESS rate (my term)
is much higher in the US when you get sick. All those forms to fill
out, with the spectre of financial doom. North of the border, I never
see a form, and pay only for my TV & phone when I go to a hospital.

If you want to comment on this, do so privately to me, because it
ain't fair to use the BMWnet for this purpose. But as a scientist, I
could not let a misleading statement stand.

Happy New Year to all. I have enjoyed being with you on this list.
- -- 
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
Barry Wellman           wellman@domain.elided            8-)