healthcare debate is over!

[dmagicglock]

If this isn't a ringing endorsement against universal healthcare, I don't know what is...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5h0QC7bditrEb3wYz_6_b-gsGGDxA

game over!

My heart, my choice,' Williams says, defending decision for U.S. heart surgery

By Tara Brautigam (CP) – 1 day ago

An unapologetic Danny Williams says he was aware his trip to the United States for heart surgery earlier this month would spark outcry, but he concluded his personal health trumped any public fallout over the controversial decision.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Williams said he went to Miami to have a "minimally invasive" surgery for an ailment first detected nearly a year ago, based on the advice of his doctors.

"This was my heart, my choice and my health," Williams said late Monday from his condominium in Sarasota, Fla.

"I did not sign away my right to get the best possible health care for myself when I entered politics."

The 60-year-old Williams said doctors detected a heart murmur last spring and told him that one of his heart valves wasn't closing properly, creating a leakage.

He said he was told at the time that the problem was "moderate" and that he should come back for a checkup in six months.

Eight months later, in December, his doctors told him the problem had become severe and urged him to get his valve repaired immediately or risk heart failure, he said.

His doctors in Canada presented him with two options - a full or partial sternotomy, both of which would've required breaking bones, he said.

He said he spoke with and provided his medical information to a leading cardiac surgeon in New Jersey who is also from Newfoundland and Labrador. He advised him to seek treatment at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami.

That's where he was treated by Dr. Joseph Lamelas, a cardiac surgeon who has performed more than 8,000 open-heart surgeries.

Williams said Lamelas made an incision under his arm that didn't require any bone breakage.

"I wanted to get in, get out fast, get back to work in a short period of time," the premier said.

Williams said he didn't announce his departure south of the border because he didn't want to create "a media gong show," but added that criticism would've followed him had he chose to have surgery in Canada.

"I would've been criticized if I had stayed in Canada and had been perceived as jumping a line or a wait list. ... I accept that. That's public life," he said.

"(But) this is not a unique phenomenon to me. This is something that happens with lots of families throughout this country, so I make no apologies for that."

Williams said his decision to go to the U.S. did not reflect any lack of faith in his own province's health care system.

"I have the utmost confidence in our own health care system in Newfoundland and Labrador, but we are just over half a million people," he said.

"We do whatever we can to provide the best possible health care that we can in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian health care system has a great reputation, but this is a very specialized piece of surgery that had to be done and I went to somebody who's doing this three or four times a day, five, six days a week."

He quipped that he had "a heart of a 40-year-old, so that gives me 20 years new life," and said he intends to run in the next provincial election in 2011.

"I'm probably going to be around for a long time, hopefully, if God willing," he said.

"God forbid for the Canadian public I won't be around longer than ever."

Williams also said he paid for the treatment, but added he would seek any refunds he would be eligible for in Canada.

"If I'm entitled to any reimbursement from any Canadian health care system or any provincial health care system, then obviously I will apply for that as anybody else would," he said.

"But I wrote out the cheque myself and paid for it myself and to this point, I haven't even looked into the possibility of any reimbursement. I don't know what I'm entitled to, if anything, and if it's nothing, then so be it."

He is expected back at work in early March.

[Likwid]

lol @ comparing "the average surgery" at some podunk retard hospital to Mount Sinai in Miami.

This is no different than people flying from all over the country for Cleveland Clinic.

[Casper]

lol @ comparing "the average surgery" at some podunk retard hospital to Mount Sinai in Miami.

This is no different than people flying from all over the country for Cleveland Clinic.

This.

[Todd#43]

He could have had it fixed in Canada, but he chose to have it fixed in the US because the method for fixing it was better.

Why? The Newfie Hospital doesnt have the latest technology that the hospital in the US does. They don't have the technology because they cant AFFORD IT.

Why can't they afford it? Because of Newfoundland's population, they get a small piece for the government health care pie than say Ontario.

Why does the US Hospital have the doctors and technology that the Canadian hospital doesnt? Because for all its faults, we still have the best health care delivery system in the world. Advancement in technology and education are REWARDED here with the promise of financial gain. In Canada, no such promise exists.

[RFM]

Not one person goes to Canada to get pharmaceuticals at a better price. Indeed, there isn't an industry based on it either. Let's talk numbers, then talk failure.

[Todd#43]

Not one person goes to Canada to get pharmaceuticals at a better price. Indeed, there isn't an industry based on it either. Let's talk numbers, then talk failure.

Of course there's a whole industry around buying cheap pharmaceuticals in Canada. Do you know why? Get back to me with that answer, and then we'll talk about failure.

[MidgetTodd]

Im in EMT classes and I stayed at a Holiday Inn express last night so I should be qualified if anyone needs some surguries done on the cheap my knife is sharp and needle an thread is mostly sterile. No need to travel to Canada or elsewhere just swing out here to the fresh country air and I got ya covered, as long as you sign a liability waiver.

[Uncle Punk]

Oh, oh can I play? I know, I know, I know, pick me, pick me!

[MidgetTodd]

Tod you can be my surgical assistant.

[MidgetTodd]

And fall guy when it doesnt go as planned. It'll be easy to pin the blame on you since you're black and all.

[r1crusher]

Just because you have operated on some sheep to enhance your 'pleasure time' with them doesn't qualify you to operate on a human!

Stick with what ya know.

[MidgetTodd]

But I stayed at a Holiday Inn expess last night that qualifies me for everything. Besides with Punk as my egor how can we go wrong he's in the medical field too.

[dmagicglock]

you can argue the semantics all you want, but at the end of the day what made this story so compelling is that the man who flew to florida for the procedure was a Canadian Premier... I'd love to see them pass Universal Healthcare and then Harry Reid fly out of country to have a major surgery performed somewhere else.

[Uncle Punk]

I like where this thread is going but it won't let me show my vast knowledge of the market differences in this current direction. Maybe I should just post a link to my sides view on the topic that should settle it.

Black Tod is reminded of a joke where the punch line is "let’s just call it even boss." This is in reference to Todd's sexual pleasure medical experiments.

[dmagicglock]

by vast knowledge do you mean that if you increase the demand of a product for everyone that the supply and quality of such product decreases and price of overall product increases?

[MidgetTodd]

Black Tod is reminded of a joke where the punch line is "let’s just call it even boss." This is in reference to Todd's sexual pleasure medical experiments.

Are they still deemed "experiments" if they worked?

[RFM]

Are they still deemed "experiments" if they worked?

Hooray for the monkey paw ZJ!

[Uncle Punk]

By vast knowledge I mean this ain't Canada. Simple enough. I hear it's cheaper the ski up there too.

[Strictly Street]

This thread is full of WIN!

[alienpi]

Paving the way for healthcare rationing

[SAMBUSA]

Fear

[Uncle Punk]

It's not fear it's the only outcome that has happened when this has been done. (With the exception of rich countries that don't subsidize it with taxes.) I'm not afraid of it because we have good people making it their mission to see this stupid shit doesn't pass.

[Todd#43]

Fear

Yeah, every time someone presents an opposing opinion, you gotta pipe up with "fear".

People like you with your head stuck in the sand are part of the problem.

[Uncle Punk]

I can totally see why someone would want to be like Justin. He is my hero too.

[Todd#43]

LoLoL... No' date=' Sam is just posting for Jeremi. I think he's given up arguing. It's an inside joke that goes back a while. That was everyone's default answer anytime someone suggested the government was going to get us. Sam stole it and won't give it back.[/quote']

Fucker.

I can totally see why someone would want to be like Justin. He is my hero too.

No.. Jeremi(Fusion)' date=' not Justin(DoucheBag).[/quote']

Jeremi, Justin, who cares. The way they swing on each other nut's its difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins.