From a medical and healthcare perspective, merging the United States and Canada would present both opportunities and challenges. Here are some key considerations:
Potential Benefits
Access to Universal Healthcare (for Americans) – Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system could provide universal access to healthcare for U.S. residents, potentially improving public health outcomes.
Increased Medical Research & Collaboration – Combining research institutions and funding could accelerate medical breakthroughs.
Drug Pricing and Availability – Canada regulates drug prices more effectively than the U.S., so a merger could lead to lower prescription costs.
Pandemic and Public Health Coordination – A unified system could improve responses to health crises like COVID-19, enhancing resource distribution and disease management.
Medical Workforce Expansion – The combined healthcare workforce could address doctor shortages in certain regions.
Challenges and Downsides
Policy and System Integration – The U.S. and Canadian healthcare systems operate very differently, making a seamless transition complex.
Cost and Taxation – The U.S. would need to significantly increase taxes to fund a Canadian-style system, which could be politically unpopular.
State vs. Federal Control Conflicts – The decentralized nature of U.S. healthcare (state-run Medicaid, private insurance dominance) could clash with Canada’s federally guided model.
Cultural and Political Differences – Beyond healthcare, merging two distinct nations would face strong resistance politically and socially.
Alternative Solutions
Rather than a full merger, the U.S. could:
Adopt healthcare policies similar to Canada’s (e.g., price controls, universal insurance).
Expand cross-border medical services and collaborations.
Negotiate pharmaceutical and medical supply deals with Canada.
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Sunday 02/09/2025 3:00 PM EST
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j-o-h-n
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Hmm, the US is too greedy to let that fly, however from a realistic factual stand point, Canada and the US Are Europe, England to be exact, maritime laws, conqueror mentality and actions, money with no foundational value (fiat money), and a nation and its leaders are ALL immigrants in some form. That said, UHEALTHCARE is Not Fit because the capitalists cannot embezzl, steal, appropriate or augment rules and policies in Their favor. Another point is they don't Want to cure you, they will not use our prescribed proper herbs, minerals, vitamins and frequency augmentation therapies and practices that WILL heal you. I know that's a sledge hammer to the idea, but is very realistic and factual. Hmm what say you Super J?
Based on extensive business travel to Canada prior to retiring; and having used their clinic albeit as a non-citizen, I don't agree with this overly optimistic scenario
1) I met many Canadian citizens who were generally dis-satisfied with their govt program. Some either obtained supplemental coverage on their own or vis their employer, though I can't recall if this was for when they travelled international. Not sure there have been any significant improvements since my last visit
2) Biggest complaint seemed to be rationing of service; some limit on treatment options, long wait times, and for some, the need/desire to purchase a policy that allowed them to see treatment outside of Canada.
3) I don't think I have ever seen a thorough critique of the Canadian system that was particularly favorable.
4) While I agree we could use better options here, I don't think cloning the Canadian system is anywhere close to what would be good for us.
Meanwhile, I am extremely happy with the options and costs to me here as a US citizen esp. those treatments for my own Stage 4 PC.
Hi John, This is a very good idea, but an even much better idea is to unite USA with Kanada, Greenland and Panama. Remember John, Let`s make the USA GREAT!!!
I’ve had several conversations with people on this site who live in Canada who had to wait a ridiculous amount of time for scans and treatment and did not have access to the same SOC drugs and treatments available here in the US. I have no interest in going to a Canadian style healthcare system.
It took me three weeks between each initial appointment to diagnose my cancer. My sister in law has dual citizenship, her mother doesn't wait for anything in Ontario.
Why does President Trump want Canada ? He maintains Canada has nothing to offer - we need nothing from Canada , to quote him directly . OR Perhaps he cannot MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN -- WITHOUT CANADA". Just a thought .
I was diagnosed in November 2019, surgery in January 2020, radiation March 2021-May 2021, recurrence in2023, many scan s, more radiation, on ADT and Erleada…. Great Drs, never waited for any length of time for treatment, never a bill I am sorry but that looks like a pretty damn good system to me.
Ed, you were talking about your conversations with Canadians on this site.
Try putting yourself in Canadians' shoes. Your country is threatened with annexation by a foreign power. Your healthcare system along with everything else is up for grabs. I'm extremely happy with the cancer treatment that I have received and would like it to continue. I have had timely world-class treatment at a renowned hospital (Sunnybrook Odette Centre) including prostatectomy, salvage radiation, Eligard, scans galore and my treatment has never been constrained despite Covid. The only cost to me was for parking.
I personally know too many people who are “subject” to Canada’s healthcare system. Some of them are dead and don’t have to be. We certainly aren’t perfect here either by a long shot but all the successful countries are capitalistic but most of the failures occur when the populace gets lazy and uninformed. I would welcome all provinces except Ontario and Quebec although the whole country is very beautiful with many nice people. Only Southpark wants to invade Canada. Here is my bold statement “Cancer could be CURED if we expended half the energy we do on soul robbing technologies like ChatGPT.”
I agree Cancer could be cured if we built a " SUPERR LAB " and brought the worlds leading scientists together , like THE MANHATTAN PROJECT or Putting a man on the moon .
BUT -- The mass unemployment worldwide plus the world population growth . We need cancer to cull the population .
At present the worlds scientists work in SILOS . Discoveries are individual prides of authorship -- or a means to gain tenure at a University . There's no real openess in their individual research . Think of the trillions spent worldwide . Like many great inventions , in all sectors of society , thousands , for financial reasons never see the light of day .
The American system works well if you have money. When you apply for a job, one of the first things you look at is the medical benefit package which is a big chunk of the overall pay. How much are the copays? What is the max out of pocket? I lived in CA for a few years and had a child with disabilities. My ins company went broke and now he had a pre existing condition and no longer insurable. We moved back to Canada because we were going broke from the medical bills. I was self employed BTW.
I would be open to adding Democrat states as new provinces with Canada. More Americans die from guns than cancer, so guns would be banned and our new Canadians would be able to travel anywhere without the fear of being shot.
Not that this will change your mind..but in 2023 the US saw ~40k gun-related deaths compared to ~610k Cancer-related deaths. Also, 72% of those gun-related deaths came in Democratic cities. At least you got your name right. (edited...meant cities, not states)
You all should be talking about high fructose corn syrup and other known carcinogens that corrode our food supply than arguing about guns. The gun problem isn’t about guns it is about a society that doesn’t value human life.
It's nice that all the surgery, radiation, meds and diagnostics are free. But the USA has several more medical options, mainly because many companies don't bother applying to do business in Canada. We don't yet have proton radiation - and should have.
If a relatively normal process like an audit received so much political push back, any merger between the two countries, absent a nuclear war or volcanic catastrophe, is impossible.
Anyone for research that is action oriented rather than a way to publish article on ResearchGate but with NO follow up. Even the most promising results in test tubes and nude mice end with “and more research needs to be done” with no research done after that. Makes you wonder. We could put the whole nutraceuticals arguments to bed if we had trials on them especially including multiple natural compounds with people taking SOC like ADT? Finally, hasn’t anyone notice that pure spending doesn’t provide results especially when government is involved?
I know it’s kind of pointless responding on this thread any longer but at 330 million people in the US and only 40 million in Canada I believe the Canadians would lose their socialized medicine and join our medical system, not the other way around. Not that it is even remotely possible it would happen.
since we're indulging a delusional idea to begin with...
I can imagine a four-step process:
(1) Canada becomes 51st state after sustained efforts from Trump and GOP
(2) based on its population, it is allocated about 50-60 electoral votes and about the same # of representatives in the House
(3) 80% of the Canadian population is pretty ticked off about having their governance and culture subsumed against their will, and they vote against any and all GOP candidates for many decades
Why does it become only one state? I would think at least 2 😉.
Years ago there was a similar discussion about NZ becoming a state of Australia. When asked by journalists what he thought about it, the New Zealand prime minister (Muldoon) gave his trademark laugh and said "Well I don't know about that but if Australia wants to apply to join us, we'll certainly consider it".
j-o-h-n Canada : DOES NOT WANT THE USA TO BE OUR 11TH PROVINCE.
Too much baggage . Gun crimes in particular , school shootings . More guns than people in the USA . We . like the UK , Australia , France , Germany , New Zealand , and on and on . Have a seamless transfer of power in a government change . Unlike the USA where the losing opposing party works to deep six the incomingg President -- The Dems in this case . We also have all the key government positions in place . Again unlike the USA . You elected a new Pres. in November - It's February - the US is still voting in their key positions -- against the opposition of the losing party , delay , delay , delay the vote . ( Dems abstruction ). Like kids in a playground .
J-O-H-N . I could go on and on .
I totally agree with President Trump draining the swamp and the Billions going down a rabbit hole & Deporting - ALL THE ILLEGALS .
He's a businnessman . Government is a big business . Not a slush fund . I disagree with his position on Canada , Greenland , Gaza and the Panama Canal . He sounds like Putin - I want to control Ukraine . Xi Jinping of China - I will invade Taiwan .
Draining the swamp can be a good thing if done properly, but it won’t be. Deporting all the illegals will do nothing but get rid of the workforce that does what others don’t want to do. as well as there are a lot of skilled tradesmen that are “illegals”. Good luck with replacing them.
gsun : I disagree . Millions are waiting to enter the US " LEGALLY ". I remember the brain drain from the UK , Europe etc which made the USA great . E.G. The top guns at NASA came out AVRO in Canada . President Trump realises he cannot make AMERICA GREAT AGAIN , without Canada ( the 51 st State -- It will never happen )
Millions of people that are the same as the illegals. There are not millions of people who are educated and skilled. And they won’t replace the illegals anyway. The millions that are waiting are refugees. You need people to do the grunt work too.
Not wishing to seem ungrateful at the prospect of being forcibly annexed by a foreign country but I'm sure we can manage just fine on our own. The vast majority of Canadians do not want this.
While not taking a position on whether we should have a system like Canada’s which might be beneficial in many ways, my memory tells me there have been a number of posts by PC patients indicating they are unable to obtain certain treatment meds or tests, as compared to patients in the US. As an aside, I am quite certain there have been numerous posts by PC patients indicating this is the case in the UK.
I'm from Canada and we have a terrible health care here. People say it is free , but we are taxed to death here and most can not even get a doctor. For those that do , the doctor has way too many patients to give proper care so their hands are tied.My husband had a bone scan when diagnosed in October of 2023 . We just had a Doctors appointment and asked if there is any way he could get a scan or MRI done this fall ( October) as it will be 2 years and the Doctor said that it is not necessary and if they gave everyone a scan for no reason than people who really need one would never get one.When I see people talk about getting a second opinion , we do not have that option . When you need a scan it can take up to a year here or more. We also begged to have an oncologist and told that is not necessary till he has a turn for the worst ! It is so scary and I hold my breath when the day comes something changes for the worst . We are also way behind on the treatments here and the availability of treatments that you get there ( like a pet scan ) . I think both Canada and the U.S could improve the health care by a whole lot and maybe joining to aid one another instead of the insane politics that have taken over this world and separated everyone
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