Authorized Consent

Interesting Happenings

2006-03-22T02:01:00.000+00:00

Some interesting things have happened over the past few months in healthcare. Apologies for not writing earlier, but what can I say, i've been busy. 1)Alberta announces its "third way". Basically fee for service for certain things such as hip replacement which allow you to jump the cue. The big problem everyone has is the Doctors can work in both public and private sector. Duh. Thats it? Doctors currently bill fee for service. Is that not private industry? Hmmmm.... 2) BC travels to Sweden and England to look at other private/public home care models. At least they get it. Private healthcare does not equal American Health Care. Hopefully they grow some balls and take a chance on somthing. Interesting enough, I was recently in BC, and all I will say is that it is the same as Ontario, only different titles. Same wait times. Same lack of innovation. Same reliance on the historical way. 3) Ontario passes LHIN legislation. Basically this is regional health care, ecept that the regional bodies make tough decisions such as budgeting and closing beds/service. Makes sense except that the propogandist McGuinty government will claim victory and involvment in any good news story and place blame on LHINs for any bad political decisions. Interesting enough, 2 years after their health tax was introduced (err..."premium"), the health care ssystem is no better, in fact arguably worse off. I continue to shun my wife for voting Liberal.Tags: healthcare, Liberals, private health, Canada, Ontario

Jack Layton and Private Healthcare

2006-01-13T18:06:00.000+00:00

Well, many readers have been coming to this site searching for information on Jack Layton, leader of the federal NDP party who, 20 some odd years ago, had a hernia repaired at the "private" Shouldice Hospital in Toronto.
Lets set the record straight.

I do not like Jack Layton - mainly because of is ignorance that private healthcare exisits in Canada (see sidebar for more info on previous posts). Case in point-- He had so-called private surgery done years ago, yet says that private care is the big bad monster coming to ruin this country.
Shouldice Hospital in Toronto is technically a private hospital, though they recieve funding for surgerys through OHIP (Ontario's "public" health care insurance). Jack never had to actually pay for the service. Nonetheless, he still went there.
Shouldice was set up after the war as a NOT FOR PROFIT clinic to treat mainly soldiers returning home with minor issues such as hernias, etc. Nonetheless they operate outside the public hospital/clinic realm and therefore are considered private (regardless if they make a profit or not - they just get better tax breaks).
Jack claims he didn't know and that he followed his advice from a doctor - which begs the question, if the doctor said "Jack, you need an MRI---fast, in fact you should seek out a private clinic, its a matter of life and death...." do you think Jack would hesitate?
Why is private care such a bad thing. Jack got his hernia repaired, presummably everything went ok, it happened quick, he never had to pay for the service...Why is it such a big deal?
We should embrace these kinds of options, they work, they don't cost people more (although paying for care should be an option - you have more choice in vet care then healthcare), you get the procedure done quickly.

Hopefully that helps some of you out there seeking information. What is wrong with private healthcare? There are other options than the American system. They are not all bad. In fact, as I have written here before, the only nations with a 100% public system, whereby everyone recieves the exact same levels of care regardless of income are:

Canada
North Korea
and Cuba

Now what do you think of this socialist care?

Ignorance is Bliss

2006-01-04T20:24:00.000+00:00

Happy New Year by the way. Its exiting times as Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada actually has a chance of establishing a minority government ending the tax and spend days (as well as kickbacks) of Paul Martin and his gang of Liberal merrymen.

I recently recieved an email with some information on the Healthcare restructuring going on in Ontario (the so-called Bill 36 LHIN legislation). The article was esentially a policy paper done by the Health Care Coalition of Ontario. Its actually fairly well written although biased against any so called for-profit healthcare companies and partnerships. This is where ignorance is bliss on a number of levels.
1) The only difference between for-profit and not-for-profit is that the private companies pay taxes which go to supporting the public companies.
2) Private companies (especially in health care) are usually far more responsive, efficient, customer service oriented and treat their staff better than public companies (having worked in both, yes this is the case). The customer service is usually better because private companies have to fight to attract and keep clients while if a public company loses one, its usually someone elses fault and they will justify it to continue to recieve their same level of funding (or more). Where would you rather spend your tax dollars - I certainly do not enjoy waste accompanied by poor customer service.
3) This position paper is all well and great, but the legislation (although its a snoozer) but its passed second reading, and the liberals are in a majority. Maybe the OHC should have been lobbying back in the summer when someone was listening.
4) Lobbyist groups like this one, have some impression that money grows on trees and therefore ingnore other options like private investment (which already exisits - how do you think Hospitals expand - through donations from companies and indivduals (Like the Peter Munk cardiac centre at Toronto General Hospital)).

Sorry for the rant, but it is rainy outside and this one caught my attention. I thought I should share it. Until next time...

Suing the Government over healthcare

2005-12-29T19:25:00.000+00:00

I recently read an article about a Canadian who is suing his provincial government for repayment of medical fees. Unfortunately I had intended to post this last week, but due to the holidays, I had limited access to a computer. So I will try my best. So this guy is very ill and needs a liver transplant. The provincial government/hospital (It was either Nova Scotia or Ontario, but I think NS) said that he was too unwell for the procedure to be done and basically "sorry, you have a few months to live". So the guy does what probably anyone would do, get a second opinion. He in fact goes to the UK and ends up getting his liver transplant, and survives, and in fact is doing very well (so much for that advice earlier!). The procedure and hospital stay costs him well over $750,000CAN, so he does again what any sane person would do - he invoices his provincial government for it. This being Canada, and all, and promoters of "The best darn public health system in the universe!" (to which we scoff HA!) refused to pay the bill.

Yes you read that correctly. Once again, becuase of the refusal to pay, especially for a life-saving procedure, the goverment has basically created a two-tier system! Which of course it is against. Interesting.

Nonetheless, the guy was not happy with the refusal, and is persuing the case to the supreme court, which, you read it here first - he will win, hands down.

Wellpoint Health

2005-12-21T16:04:00.000+00:00

So, yesterday I posted about Wellpoint Health. Today on my adsense banner (click to the right please! I need to get paid!) is Wellpoint Health. By no means am I promoting these guys, but I thought that was pretty crafty of google. I mention Wellpoint, and voila. How about Blue Cross, Red Crosss, Kaiser Permanente?

So the blog never started out as a health care blog. But since I work in health care, in Canada (Not France like my bio says, nor am I 103 for that matter!) I think I am going to alter the format of this blog to talk mainly on the health care system, specifically on private health care, because I for one believe that this is the answer to many of our problems here in Canada. You see, here we like to trhow money at problems, hoping that they will go away, instead, everything just ends up costing more. There is tons of waste, tons of burocracy(sp?) and what do we get? Crappy care, waitlists, broken promises, lies etc. So I say, bring in private care, because really, the only difference between for-profit private companies and not-for profit (besides the whining from the not-for-profit) is that the for-profit companies pay taxes (of which the not-for-profit) companies usually use to fund their services/operations. So the not-for-profit companies should actually be thanking the for-profits. Sounds confusing, but it is really simple.

Private Health Care Part 2!

2005-12-20T20:25:00.000+00:00

So I recieved this post from the supposed American Blue Cross, to which I say cool. I believe he was referred here through a google search for private health care. So I did the same, albeit on google.ca and here is what I came up with:

First google adsense ad is: Wellpoint
What is Wellpoint you ask? It is a private healthcare clinic or executive health care type of service that exists here in Canada. *GASP* What does that mean. Oh I guess just that I wasn't making any of this crap up. Truly.
Lets see what else we find....well there is 816,000 hits for Private Healthcare. Interesting. I can't find my own site though.
I guess just for my faithful readers, I will ask one small question (and of course provide the shocking, scandalous answer):
Name the only 3 countries in the world to have so called Social (non-private) healthcare systems in the world, not offering some sort of choice?
1. Is Canada, although private healthcare does exist, but as long as we don't awknowledge it, it can't be true.
2. North Korea
3. Cuba

Interesting.

New Suit

2005-12-13T01:38:00.000+00:00

Don'tcha just love the feeling of a brand new suit. Moi aussi. I was out today and was given the early Christmas (ooops! Holiday) present of a brand spanking new suit. Charcoal grey. Fits like a suit should. Can't wait to wear it. I wear a suit everyday, but is something about a crisp new suit that makes me want to dance down the hallway all giggly like. Also, this being winter and the like, I got a new winter coat. Feels great. Oh yeah, and through all this I must answer that burning question you have - do I look good? Hell yeah! Damn good. I make the leaning tower of Pisa stand erect.

Hertz

2005-12-10T02:22:00.000+00:00

My belly hertz. Dunno why.

Private Health Care in Canada Exists GASP

2005-12-06T12:48:00.000+00:00

Ok. So I don't really want this to be a political blog, rather a ranting blog. But. I was reading my morning newspaper and saw something that just gets me going. The Canadian PM election is happening and there is lots of back and forth between the Fiberals, the Conservatives and the NDPoo about healthcare and how it is sacred and blah blah blah. The latest comment by Jack Layton, head of the socialist NDP states that he would not stop private healthcare companies so long as the public money wasn't spent on them. Then it mentioned something about Ontario having the strictist laws preventing this from happening. So I feel it is my duty, to the one reader out there who may care to
SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT! For Christ's sake.
Stupid politicians either are dumb and don't know what is happening in this country or choose to play dumb to play up the public versus private nonesense to the public.
Private Healthcare is alive in this country, and not necessarily a bad thing. Why? Oh do read on...

1) Our current laughable Prime Minister Paul Martin has a private care physician through an executive health plan - oh and he will keep out private care "Not on my watch" he says. Stupid Stupid public.

2) Currently in Canada, including Ontario (dummies-making laws that don't support the status quo), there exists private Health Care companies who are being paid for by public taxpayers dollars. *GASP*! Who is it you ask? Everytime you go to a diagnostic lab, or have an x-ray or ultrasound, these are being provided by companies like Canadian Medical Labs Inc, etc which are private companies billing the private system - they have been around for years! And its ok. No one is the wiser!

3) In Ontario, for at least the past 15 years or more, there exists a TWO TIER HEALTH system in homecare. GASP! For years homecare allows a legislated maximum of 14 hours per week of personal support care. Do the math. 2 hours a day. So if anyone wants or *GASP* needs more care, they buy more, meaning if you can afford it, you get it (sure there are also insurance plans to cover it).

4) Am I the only idiot to figure out that the difference between for-profit and not-for-profit, is that the for-profit companies pay taxes (which usually support the not-for-profits)?

5) Not to mention private hospitals for hernia repair, executive health clinics, physio clinics, hell even Physicians work for themselves, and bill the public (ok, a bit of a cheap short I'll grant you).

So I end with a bit of a question. Does the public not realize that this health care system is broken, that we continue to through money at it, and that we haven't even reached peak demand? 2011 signals the beginning of the baby boomer retirement. What happens then?

Ha!

2005-11-30T01:20:00.000+00:00

Its Erection time in Canaduh. Hooray! I think the most exciting thing is to watch all the snot nosed politicians come January.
I have decided that Canadians like to complain. Its too hot...its too cold...I hate summer...I hate winter...Shut the fuck up. Yes you. Right. Move to Bermuda or Russia. So now the great peaceful people to the north are complaining about having to go cast a vote in the cold. I guess its much worse than having to dodge bullets to cast a vote. Or giving your life for a country. Winos.
Speaking of which, I shall get back to my nice glass of Cab, and watch the tom foolery begin.

The world is ending?

2005-11-25T12:22:00.000+00:00

Wow! What an exciting week! Yesterday came the announcement in Ontario that the health care system is changing via some stupid thoughtless legislation. I believe the quote by the Minister of Health was "You can't run a $33 billion operation from head office." Interesting. Isn't that why they call it "head office"? Instead, why don't we set up 14 mini offices, so we can pay for double the office expenses, double salaries, double accountants, double asshattery as my friend Mr. Humble Guy would say. I just don't get it. I believe a little company called GE runs a moderately successful operation from its head office. And likewise does Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Microsoft. I guess this is a "Made in Ontario" solution is just that. We here at the centre of the Canadian (and most likely the rest of world) UNIVERSE, like to waste as much money as possible so that in the end, we can say we did it our way. Yes, we solved the problem by throwing more money at it. Now instead of it being a $33 billion operation, it has become a $90 billion operation. What fun!

Next week, the rest of Canada falls as the current Liberal Government topples after it is decided they no longer have the confidence or moral authority to govern. Finally. Liberal solution, tax the hell out of everyone saying we have debt and a "fiscal responsibility", then use all the saved up money to try to buy the votes to get back into power. And no, they are not corrupt. Very interesting. I think I am going to look into the tax benefit of moving to Swizterland. Mmmmm, swiss cheese, chocolate, clocks and nice fancy watches. I hear the beer is good too.

Sorry to offend other Canadian readers who disagree that Toronto is the centre of the universe. As much as you deny it, you can't argue with the fact that it is the largest Canadian city, as well as the richest. Plus the Canadian army comes to Toronto to shovel our snow! Now that is power!

Sorry to offend you American readers who just don't give a shit. You have to shamefully look at yourselves in the mirror each day for "not" voting in G.W.Bush. Suckers.

Sorry to offend all you Swiss. I am serious about joining your cult. Please let me in. I am pretty.

Sorry to offend all those others in the world, who just sit there snickering. Yes, you are all better than us, but you have to give us our politeness. We say sorry to everyone, even those that don't read this blog.

Complaining....again...

2005-11-22T11:57:00.000+00:00

So yesterday I had this meeting first thing in the morning, and as I am sitting there waiting to meet with the person (who was 10 minutes late, but who's counting, and in this world of time is money, who cares what that costs me....) I get this wave of dizziness. So dizzy I had to breathe deeply and focus on an object so I didn't fall over - which would have been a great impression to a potential buyer of our services. So I basically fluffed through the interview because of how crappy I felt. I got home and crashed and voila, awakened to feeling pretty darn good. So what is up with that? One minute I feel like I am being skull fucked by a dog (not that I know what that feels like, but I am guessing it is pretty close to what I felt) then the next I feel like I could run a marathon, ok not really because I am way out of shape and the last marathon I ran was like 3 years ago.

My second dilema of the day is this. I have 6 courses left to take for my MBA, which I hope to finish by next december. I am taking one sort of e-business crash course of the xmas break, which leaves 5. If I take 2 in January and 2 in the spring, there is a good chance I can finish early, though not likely due to scheduling. However, due to L. being off on maternity leave, our MBA cash is less. Having said that, it should all be repaid by a fat bonus sometime next year. What to do? I am leaning towards taking the 2 courses, which leaves me with 3 left over 3 semesters, plus probably a crash course in the summer. But how much into debt are you supposed to go for one of these things? And what is the payoff afterwords.

Maybe stress is the cause of my ass-kicking dizzy spell yesterday? But I don't feel stressed. Workand family is great, school is ok, wine tastes good. What more do you need?

Ouch

2005-11-19T04:39:00.000+00:00

Why does my back hurt?
I am a disaster. My back is achy, probably from carrying my daughter around, which I thought would result in supremely huge pipes, especially as she gains weight, but in actual fact has resulted in no pipes, and a sore back. To top it of I feel nauseated. That feeling you get when you have been punched in the stomach...you know...hey I took martial arts for a few years a while back and, instead of really learning anything, or developing any muscles or karma, I became a punching bag for the slicker, meaner fighters in my dojo. Ah sometimes I miss the old club. But sadly, life gets complicated. MBA's need to get finished, a sales quota needs to get met, a 3 month old daughter needs love and attention, as well as my wife needs love and attention.
Today I just feel old. Usually I feel 16. Even looking in the mirror, I see a less geeky(not by much of course cuz geeks rule), balder, 16 year old trapped in a 29 year olds body. Today I feel 29.
What was my point? Oh fuck it, I don't know, I'm getting old and the short term memory is 24 bottles of wine short of being up to date. Christ back off would ya.
Oh, here's a lesson. Always wear a watch - that way when "they" ask you to do a mini-mental exam during psych ward admission, you should be able to successfully draw a clock face.

Raindrop

2005-11-19T02:58:00.000+00:00

drip
a drop
of cool water
off the side
of a dull grey building.
watch the molecules
fall,
diving into a cold comma,
shimmering and strutting
its fluid booty.
evaporating and condensing
in each simple shake,
the liquid pearl
dances into
and out of existence.
see the purveyor
of life
stutter
with each breath
the wind blows,
swinging
through the dense
mugginess,
waltzing
to its suicide
and a splatter
of its brothers
and sisters.

writer's block

2005-11-16T01:29:00.000+00:00

fingertips
scarred
from thumbing
the prose
of unpoetic pages
always
the
same
damn
plot
of loneliness

Poetry (or self proclaimed genius - you decide)

2005-11-15T12:48:00.000+00:00

slash a wrist
fuck a page
with words
with thoughts
with emotions
get harsh with them

2005-11-14T21:22:00.000+00:00

Chaotic
fucking
but
even
the
anarchist
has rules

2005-11-14T21:21:00.000+00:00

Sometimes I think.......

.....Therefore sometimes I am......

Wait for it....

2005-11-14T20:50:00.000+00:00

Here it comes......Soon.