By Dave Andrusko

The headline in The Canadian Press captured the hypocrisy in absolutely stunning terms: "'My heart, my choice,' Williams says, defending decision for U.S. heart surgery."

Regular TN&V readers may remember [Danny] Williams, the Newfoundland and Labrador Premier whom we wrote about on February 3rd. It had just become public that he had come to the United States for heart surgery.

Canada, a single payer system, is often held up by lawmakers as a model worth emulating (in whole or part) in the U.S. Now, after the surgery has been successfully completed, Williams is scrambling to contain any political fallout.

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams

"We do whatever we can to provide the best possible health care that we can in Newfoundland and Labrador," Williams told The Canadian Press. "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."

Ah, yes, do what I say, not what I do.

The Canadian system has been plagued by claims of waiting lines, inadequate care, and poor survival rates. In 2007, one of the problems--wait times-- had gotten so bad that the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, announced: "During the last federal election campaign, I and my party made a clear and unequivocal commitment to Canadians. We promised to sit down with the provinces to develop Patient Wait Times Guarantees, and today, I'm proud to announce, we're delivering."

Williams, who is sixty, told The Canadian Press that the heart murmur doctors detected last spring was because one of his heart valves wasn't closing properly, creating a leakage. He said he was told the problem was "moderate." Eight months later, doctors "urged him to get his valve repaired immediately or risk heart failure," The Canadian Press reported.

Both surgical repair options required breaking bones in the sternum. Williams said he forwarded his information to a doctor in the United States who "advised him to seek treatment at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami."

Unlike what he could find in his provinces, William went to a cardiac surgeon "who has performed more than 8,000 open-heart surgeries." Williams, unapologetic for his decision, said he'd be back at work in March.

For more of the problems associated with Canada's health care system go to www.nrlc.org/news/2009/NRL05/UniversalHealthCare.html.

As Congress contemplates how to move forward to pass health care reform intended to have universal coverage, it is essential that any health plan include a means of sustainable, adequate funding so as to lessen the real danger of rationing. However that is not the case with either the Senate Health Care restructuring bill passed in December or President Obama's proposal released Monday.

Part One
Part Two