I guess I need President Obama to explain it to me some more...

A question for those extolling the virtues of the Canadian health care system, or the British health care system, because they provide "universal coverage" for their citizens:

What are the odds of a Philadelphia newspaper printing a story about Governor Ed Rendell traveling to Montreal for cancer treatment? What do you think is the likelihood of ever reading in the Boston Globe that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick was flying to London so he could have heart surgery in an NHS hospital?

Pretty slim, I'm thinking...

Well, Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams is going to have heart surgery in the United States.

Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams is scheduled for heart surgery in the United States, a move that throws into question his province's and his nation's health-care system.

A source confirmed to The Globe and Mail late Monday that Mr. Williams has left St. John's for an undisclosed destination in the U.S. to have heart surgery later in the week.

The Canadians have a great system. Long waits for the poor and middle class, but "free" care for the normal people, and planes, trains and automobiles to the US for real health care for the wealthy and politically connected. Instapundit has a great question from reader Geoff Coghlin:

If the US adopts Obamacare, how will the Canadian health care system survive?

The answer is, it will survive and work the same way it works now, albeit with probably a slightly higher cut-off line for determining "wealthy and well-connected." Even with Obamacare, there will still be some "special" places for the wealthy and well-connected of the US, and the wealthy and well-connected of Canada will be able to get in, too...