Michael Rachlis MD

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Canadians and Americans

12 October 2009, 3:15 PM

I’m touring Alberta next week and the US Senate Finance committee may vote for a health bill

There is lots of exciting health policy doings on both sides of the border. In Ontario the Ehealth problems have caused health minister David Caplan to resign and left boards and CEOs quivering in anticipation of being the opposition’s next target.

In Alberta, the government has cut public coverage for a variety of services and is claiming the current economic crisis means the end of the single payer system. See my op-ed, “Repair Medicare, don’t privatize” in today’s Edmonton Journal: I will be speaking in several Alberta locations next week. Here’s my schedule or check with the Alberta Friends of Medicare

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A Canadian doctor diagnoses US healthcare

3 August 2009, 10:23 PM

You can read my op-ed in today’s Los Angeles Times, “Canadian doctor diagnoses US healthcare”. It has five lessons for the US from the Canadian system. For further historical and political analysis of the Canadian health system’s achievements and challenges see Completing the Vision: Achieving the Second Stage of Medicare.

You can also find an interview I did with Stuart Varney of the Fox Business Network on July 30th.

Best wishes from Toronto on Simcoe Day, honouring John Graves Simcoe, the first British Governor of Lower Canada — what is now Ontario. Your Canadian factoid for today: Simcoe led the new Colonial Assembly to pass the first anti-slavery legislation in the British Empire in 1793.

Will Godot arrive before US single Payer? More US health reform

27 July 2009, 9:49 PM

I continue to have a small supportive role in the US health debate. Unfortunately, the US seems incapable of learning the lessons that Canada and other countries have for their health policy debate. In fact, I have written an op-ed titled “What Americans could learn from the Canadian health care system and why you probably won’t” that should be in a major American daily shortly. Stay posted.

July 20, 2009, I was featured in an economics blog written by Ian Austen, the New York Times Canadian reporter. Interestingly the Times Canadian reporter no longer lives in Canada. Check out “Should Canada’s Health System Become More Like America’s?” by Ian Austen.

I was also quoted in a two part series on Canadian health care in the St. Petersburg Times:

July 19, 2009:
“Oh, Canada, where health care for all 33 million is free”

And July 20, 2009:
“Caring for homeless helps Canada hold down health care costs”

In the meantime, if you’re an American, good luck with the daunting task of trying to get even a public option out of the American health policy debate. It looks like a single payer system may never be seriously considered.  If you’re a Canadian, thank your stars we have our Medicare! Enjoy the nice weather while it’s here.

US Health Care Reform?

15 July 2009, 9:31 PM

I hope you’re all enjoying summer. During the past year, I have been a minor player in the US health debate. I did a teleconference June 16^th with 200 folks from Progressive Democrats of America. Download my slide presentation on what Americans can learn from the Canadian healthcare system.

I was invited to be part of a debate about the US health care system September 16, 2008 at Rockefeller University NYC. My team included the 2008 winner of the Nobel Economics prize and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman and Emory University Professor Dr. Art Kellerman. We won! You can watch my presentation below, or watch the entire debate on YouTube.

And, here is a link to an interview with TV Ontario’s Steve Paikin I did on May 14, 2009.