You're missing the obvious job creation opportunity! Think of the thousands of people the new U.S. Department of MRI Waiting List Management could employ.

Inefficient solutions provide more jobs - that's how Government puts people to work!

Don't worry, another couple of years and the Democrats will probably be bragging that "We're Number One in long waiting lists!"

Obama and Nancy will be so proud.

Oh, and I wonder what the "wait time" will be for the president and members of congress?

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just scheduled an MRI yesterday with the reply "Send her right over!" I'll bet that won't last much longer.

I was referred to get an MRI by my Ortho Doc this morning. When I called to schedule they said, "We can take you at 6:30 this evening."

What is the likelihood that would happen anywhere in the world under socialized medicine? What is the likelihood that it will still happen here after Obamacare kicks in?

Oh, and I wonder what the "wait time" will be for the president and members of congress?

I'd say about 5 minutes...

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep - pretty laughable, isn't it? But then again, we cannot allow the aristocracy to go without their medical care. Why, without the regular plastic injections, Pelsli would collapse into a pile of dust.

Coming soon. The Barry marxist theft & pony show will be selling tickets to the highest bidder for MRI's and other health procedure's.

Can You imagine whats going to happen here with 10x as many people as Canada and Barry's management skills? All of the leftist's in the house and senate should be at the end of the health services line since they are serving us?

Speaking of MRI's, Barry need' to have a brain scan first to determine if he has one, then to determine if his liberalism is terminal? I think it is.

Too bad someone can't save us from the dire threat of having to choose between the many providers of laser eye surgery (or plastic surgery), also...something not now covered by most health plans and therefore with a clear cost to consumers - not a hidden one. All those damned laser eye centers competing to offer the best treatment with the least discomfort and hassle by doctors that have done the most treatments all for the lowest cost.

Save us, Barack Hussein Obama mmm mmm mmm before we have to make these sorts of choices! I mean, really, there are people that CANNOT AFFORD laser eye surgery or boob jobs! Is it FAIR that that is the case? It's simple, a panel of government bureaucrats picks the 'best' clinic (the one with the most political ties) and they are the only ones allowed to offer the treatment. Then everyone gets an equal opportunity (about 0.0001%) at getting an appointment. The government will pay (your neighbors will pay for most of your costs) for the treatment should you be able to get one, and you'll surely have the BEST doctors (because when DOESN'T the lowest bidder produce the best product?!). Of course with no incentive (no one can open a new treatment center for profit) there will be no reason for anyone to improve the process (well, the government may throw a few billion at some people to 'study' it) - but that's a SMALL price to pay for equal(ly bad) treatment for everyone!

Jay

I was at my primary physician's office at 1000 on Jan 26. I was sent for an MRI at 100. I had surgery on FEB 17, mostly because I had to decide what kind of treatment I was to take.
I live in a semi rural area. In the valley, I know of 3 MRI sites, within 40 miles of each other. There may be more. If I am not mistaken, Vancouver, home of the OLympics has one site.
My cousin from Toronto, has damaged cartilage in the knee. It will take 3 more weeks before she gets a second opinion. This is in a very large city.

This is what we will look forward to. My cousin and I are in our 50's. She will have medical difficulties because of service. Our service will decline into that over the next few years. I have been practicing how to say commissar to the IRS agents who will be checking up on us soon.

Well what do you want? Obama wants to cut doctor's pay. Though the libs will deny it, it remains the truth that when you cut medicare reimbursement rates, you cut reimbursement not only for medicare but also for other insurances which use medicare as a standard for what is fair ans reasonable.

So doctors leave the field because they cannot pay off their loans. New students will choose other professions. With fewer doctors the wait goes up, up, up.

But guarantee that Politicians will get put at the front of the line. Just like Arne Duncan kept a list of the influential to give their kids preferential treatment at Chicago schools, there will be the same list for healthcare.

In Canada it is not unusual for your doctor's appointment or even your surgery to be canceled at the last minute even after months of waiting. How often is that due to political string pulling? In the US I would expect that to be the exclusive reason.

Amazing! The Democrats are not only planning to fuck up U.S. healthcare, they will also fuck up Canada's system as well. What will happen when Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams can no longer fly to Florida for immediate heart surgery? Or the millions of other Canadians who come here every year to avoid long waiting lists? I guess they'll have to go to Cuba instead.

Actually, the real question will be whether or not anyone still wants to come to the US for any sort of treatment.

Obama would love to cut any number of third world thugs to the front of the line ahead of taxpaying citizens. Will they want to? I doubt it.

Why, without the regular plastic injections, Pelsli would collapse into a pile of dust.

6. Posted by JLawson | March 23, 2010 1:08 PM

Minor correction.
Plastic doesn't really turn into dust.
She would go into the recycle plastic bin.
Might get a couple of dozen car bumpers out of the old gal.

Complaining about foreign health care DOES NOT WORK. What part of this do people not understand?

It's over. Done. HCR is a permanent fact of American life.

I've just watched the conservative movement spend over a year trying to scare Americans about Canadian MRI wait lists. Canada's system is nothing like ours, before or after HCR. And nobody really knows or cares about foreign health care anyway.

Americans are now learning about the reality of the bill and it is popular. It will be even more popular as it takes effect and it will never be repealed. The GOP is lying when they say they will repeal it, just like they were lying when they said Scott Brown could block it - even though he was elected a month AFTER the Senate passed it with a supermajority.

The old anti-health care strategy from the 90s is comically ineffective. Let it go.

Where will Canadians go now for their MRI?

"Where will Canadians go now for their MRI?"

Canada has inexpensive, private, for-profit MRI clinics. You can get one for free with your health care plan, but you're not forced to. You have the right to purchase health insurance and go to a private clinic. Canada has private health services and private health insurance. The government doesn't do everything. Plenty of stuff is paid for out of pocket or with insurance. It's not really what most Americans think it is.

This is why I've never understood the Canadian MRI fetish that I see on the conservative blogs. It's irrelevant to Americans, and not even accurate.

It's over. Done. HCR is a permanent fact of American life.

Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Or, if you prefer, we have not yet begun to fight!

You don't get to declare victory and announce our surrender. Especially as a Canadian in an American political fight.

Fact: Ross was reading that report.

Fact: I've been bombarded with those ads for months now.

Fact: Private innovations have led to tremendous strides in American health care -- improvements in quality, improvements in options, and improvements in affordability.

Fact: A key provision of the ObamaCare plan is taxes on companies that develop new medical technologies and devices.

No, thanks. I ain't ready to quit yet.

J.

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

OK Jay, so I'll be the first to point it out. If I remember the movie correctly :-) Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.

I liked and agreed with the rest of the post, though.

JPO, forget it -- he's rolling.

Thanks Cheney. Nice to know that not EVERYONE'S a cultural philistine.

J.