"Clinton Warns Canadians Against Privatization

[ocelot]

Clinton warns Canadians against letting 'finance tail wag health care dog'

TORONTO (CP) - They were in town to discuss economics and humanity but it was Canada's health-care system the audience wanted advice about.

Asked about the growing interest by some for a privatization of the health-care system, former U.S. president Bill Clinton said Monday night that Canadians should think long and hard before making any move. "Whatever you do, there's no such thing as a perfect system," the charismatic leader told the approximately 250 dinner guests, which included Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and businessman Conrad Black, attending the inaugural World Leaders Forum.

But Clinton said the last thing anyone would want to do is let the "health care finance tail wag the health care dog."

He said America did just that and the system is a mess.

He said the U.S. spends 34 per cent of its health-care costs on administration, equalling $280 billion "to pay two million people to go to work every day for all the providers and insurers and play tug-of-war."

"It is insane," said Clinton. "It is a colossal waste of money. Don't go down that road. Don't do anything that will lead to increased administrative costs."

By comparison, Canada spends 19 per cent on administration, Clinton said.

He was joined by Israeli Vice-Premier Shimon Peres at a $3,000-a-plate fundraiser at Toronto's tony Windsor Arms hotel. Monies raised will benefit Ontario's Pine River Institute, a teen recovery program, and Israel's Nano Technology Research.

During his speech, the former president spoke eloquently and passionately on a range of topics including interdependence among countries, the threat of a pandemic flu and peace in the Middle East.

But it was Canada's health system that peaked the crowd's interest. Clinton played to the crowd, returning to the health care topic before answering a question about AIDS.

He suggested the government set up a task force to examine whether other counties, including Germany, Norway and Denmark, were successful at integrating some privatization of health services.

"Surely there's somebody that's figured out how to solve this problem that bothers so many Canadians," said Clinton.

"I know there are problems with this system. But you can't imagine what it's like (for us)."

Peres had a more optimistic outlook on privatization - only for a much different application.

"Since we've privatized so many parts of our life, why not privatize peace as well," he said in his speech, suggesting that big business does a better job of thinking on a more integrated, global scale than governments do.

[ocelot]

I personally like our (Canada's) Health Care system the way it is. It could be better but I'd rather keep it the way it is than to have a two-tier system.

[achebeautiful]

That is a very interesting article. Thank you for sharing!

I guess I have a bit of a problem with a few things about it, though.

First, I don't think it is Bill Clinton's place to inform the Canadian people of what will work for them. I say this for two reasons:

(A.) Canada and the US are two different countries with two different forms of government. The whole economic structure is different. When I say this I am not putting one down or lifting one up. I'm just merely stating the way it is. There are benefits and drawbacks to both forms of government and economic systems. But I don't think you can make a conclusion about the one by comparing it against the other. To do so, there are too many structural changes in other things that would have to take place, and if those things are not layed out then the argument is void of meaning.

(B.) When Bill Clinton left office, the USA was in a recession, which means that his administration failed to grow the economy in the eight year term he served in the White House. Why would Canada want to take advise from someone who may give the "appearance" of knowledge, but in reality is only a failure.

When Bill Clinton gives you those statistics ( "the U.S. spends 34 per cent of its health-care costs on administration, equalling $280 billion "to pay two million people to go to work every day for all the providers and insurers and play tug-of-war") he gives you factual numbers, but fails to explain why so much of it caused it to get that way. Most of that "tug-of-war" that he speaks of is pure beurocracy and politics. When I say that, I mean lobbyists and politicians. Their contribution to the health care mess in this country is worthy of mention. But Bill Clinton, (typical of a liberal Democrat in this country) always wants to blame the problem on people getting rich at other people's expense. Really, that is all he is trying to say in the end of all this. And that is not the case. Lawyers, lawsuits, and lobbyism have made just as much a wreck of this thing here.

Leona, I know that you like your health care system for your country, and I think that is great. I wish there were answers to many of the problems of our system here. I do not think that your system is the answer for us, but that is not because I dislike your system. It is only because we are structured differently, and to adopt your health care system into our political and economic system would be doom for both!

Canada should look at other countries to see what is working for them, but I only say that because we should all look outside ourselves for good examples of success in others. But, they should not think that there is a perfect system out there that is the answer to everything. Ultimately, it comes down to whether the leadership and the people want what is best for everyone involved and are willing to do what it takes to arrive there. That is true about every subject.

It's true of every country.