This Canadian doctor held back in tone but not in her words as she praised the Canadian single-payer Medicare for All health care system. Any prideful American was sure to get the message about our deficient system. We need to march this woman throughout the United States.
Danielle Martin appeared with Bernie Sanders at his health care announcement and schooled America on the benefits of Medicare for all. Anyone following the health care debate in the country over the last several years must recognize that name. After all, she is the Canadian doctor who embarrassed an ill-informed Senator Richard Burr who attempted to find several nonexistent flaws in the Canadian health care system. Watch that must-see exchange here.
Senator Bernie Sanders used our close neighbor Canada as an example of a single-payer Medicare for all health care system that works. He introduced Danielle Martin and brought her to the stage.
Canadian Doctor Danielle Martin did not disappoint
Dr. Martin first said she was grateful that many Americans are interested in learning about the experience of their Canadian neighbors with their single-payer health care system which they also call Medicare.
“As a practicing doctor, a hospital administrator, and a citizen I am so proud to be part of a system where access to ‘doctor and hospital services’ is truly based on need, and not the ability to pay,” Martin said. “And I am not the only one. In public polls, 94% of Canadians say that our health care system is a source of personal and collective pride. Even more than ice hockey. Single-payer is a symbol to us of what it truly means to be Canadian, that we take care of each other.”
Martin continued with a personal story. She said her grandparents immigrated to Canada in the early 50s when there was no Canadian Medicare. She said her grandfather got a heart attack. Subsequently, it bankrupted the family during the ten years before he died because of medical bills.
“I know that this remains a reality for many in the United States today,” Martin added. “But you should know that just north of your border, that kind of situation is essentially unimaginable. My generation of Canadians does not remember what it was like to worry about paying a doctor or a hospital bill.”
She then pointed out the reality. The U.S. healthcare system is screwing Americans. Despite Americans paying twice as much per person for health care, Canadians live longer, have a lower infant mortality rate, and fewer preventable deaths than in the United States. She made the economics clear. It costs 2% to administer their system while ours is north of 18%. She said even with those higher costs tens of thousands of Americans (she should have said millions of Americans) remain uninsured. No one in Canada is uninsured. Everyone gets healthcare.
“When my patients are sick,” the doctor said. “I do not have to ask if they have insurance or if they can afford to pay for my services. And throughout my pregnancy, and for the birth of my daughter in a world class hospital, I was never asked for money. And I never received a bill. A just handed over this card, my Canadian health care card to my doctor. And that was it. I wish that all of my American neighbors could experience the same simplicity in their moments of need. And I hope that the American people will seize this opportunity to declare to each other and the rest of the world that you do believe access to health care is a human right.”
Let’s hire her as our single-payer Medicare for all spokes person. She is outstanding and knows both systems well.
Watch Danielle Martin take down Senator Richard Burr here as he attempted to demonize the Canadian system. She knew the facts. It was clear he did not.