Canadians blast own healthcare system

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 29 (UPI) -- A leading Canadian think tank Tuesday issued a report warning California against a Canadian-style healthcare system.

Last year both houses of California's Legislature passed a bill calling for a single-payer insurance system virtually eliminating private insurers but could not overrule Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto.

A report by the Frasier Institute, a Canadian think tank, urged state lawmakers to resist attempts to revive the proposal this year.

"Many people think that Canadian patients get the same quality of care and health technology as American patients, but for less money," said study author Brett Skinner, the institute's director of health, pharmaceuticals and insurance policy.

"Nothing could be further from the truth."

Canada's system, where residents are covered by public insurance programs and care is given by private providers, is not financially sustainable, the report says.

"If Canadians had access to the same quality and quantity of healthcare resources that American patients enjoy, the Canadian health-insurance monopoly would cost a lot more than it currently does," Skinner said.