Just a quick update to our original story about the Canadian Health Care system. For that post click here.

More Americans Go to Canada than Canadians Come Here
Every week busloads of American seniors go to Canada to get their prescriptions filled. These Americans have Medicare part D – but it is still less expensive for them to get their medicine in Canada than in the United States.  But they can’t just bring their prescription from an American doctor and get it filled. They have to see a physician in Canada, have a history and physical examination – pay for it, and if is up to that doctor if they get the prescription or not.  Sometimes, these folks are surprised when (a) the doctor takes more time than the American doctor and (b) sometimes they decrease the medicines they are taking!

In fact – there are more Americans that go to Canada for health care than there are Canadians coming to America for health care.

My father-in-law is on Crestor, a lipid lowering medicine. He just took a job in Hong Kong, and decided he wanted to get a three month supply of the drug, just to be certain. While visiting us in Phoenix he priced a three month supply at over $450.  I asked why he didn’t get them in Canada.  His wife, also on Crestor, went to the local physician. Turns out that Crestor’s patent in Canada ran out July 2012 – and she purchased a year’s worth for $180. In the US the patent runs out in 2016.

So tell me, who benefits from the Big Pharma in the US– it is not us.