Canadians are sent south of the border to get treatment they can't get in Canada because the *nation's* medicare system can't afford the necessary equipment.
That is kind of deceiving: I grew up in New Brunswick, a very rural province. Before the local hospitals had MRIs people were given the choice to travel to bigger centres: Halifax...or Maine (A US STATE! not sure which city) because it was much closer for a lot NBer's (it was covered by the gov't).
As well, a lot of specialized surgery takes place in the US...people from Canada don't just come to the US...people from all over the world do. Its not that the equipment is unafforable, its just that there is only one place in the World that it may be available, and that is the US.
To say nothing of the differences in quality of care and waiting lists.....
As for quality-of-care...it is relative. Based on what I have heard US hospitals have a lot more frills, but that is not to say Canadian hospitals are inadequate...just a lot less fancy (they aren't out to impress the customer!).
On a different note...not having to sign a single form, deal with an HMO, insurance company etc...when you arrive at the hospital is a great relief when you are ill or injured.
And for Waiting lists...there is no evidence (many studies have been conducted) that having to wait for various procedures increases the chances of permanent damage/mortality etc...
This is not to say the Canadian system is great...in fact it is the most inefficient of any industrialized country. But based on per-capita spending, it is way more efficient than the US system in which 1/4 of all costs are administrative!
I suspect it all sounds too touchy-feely new-agey for most organisations to paint their walls pink (or "rose") as a means of increased happiness/productivity."
The Jr. High School I attended had halls were painted soft pink (with maybe a white stripe) and the classerooms had at least one wall that was entirely a soft pink, yellow or blue.
I'm not sure if it much effect, but there isn't really much that you can do to control 12-14yr olds.
Slashdot Mirror
That is kind of deceiving: I grew up in New Brunswick, a very rural province. Before the local hospitals had MRIs people were given the choice to travel to bigger centres: Halifax...or Maine (A US STATE! not sure which city) because it was much closer for a lot NBer's (it was covered by the gov't).
As well, a lot of specialized surgery takes place in the US...people from Canada don't just come to the US...people from all over the world do. Its not that the equipment is unafforable, its just that there is only one place in the World that it may be available, and that is the US.
As for quality-of-care...it is relative. Based on what I have heard US hospitals have a lot more frills, but that is not to say Canadian hospitals are inadequate...just a lot less fancy (they aren't out to impress the customer!).
On a different note...not having to sign a single form, deal with an HMO, insurance company etc...when you arrive at the hospital is a great relief when you are ill or injured.
And for Waiting lists...there is no evidence (many studies have been conducted) that having to wait for various procedures increases the chances of permanent damage/mortality etc...
This is not to say the Canadian system is great...in fact it is the most inefficient of any industrialized country. But based on per-capita spending, it is way more efficient than the US system in which 1/4 of all costs are administrative!
The Jr. High School I attended had halls were painted soft pink (with maybe a white stripe) and the classerooms had at least one wall that was entirely a soft pink, yellow or blue.
I'm not sure if it much effect, but there isn't really much that you can do to control 12-14yr olds.
AFAIK the DCMA only applies to reverse engineering controls on copyrighted material. I don't think the barcodes are copyrighted.