The Wonk Room

Palin Admits To Travelling To Canada For Health Care

Palin speaking in Calgary, Canada

In November of 2009, Sarah Palin — who is always suggesting that health care reform will lead to socialism — insisted that Canada needs to reform its health care system to “let the private sector take over.“ But this past Saturday in Calgary, Canada — at “her first Canadian appearance since stepping down as governor of Alaska last summer” — Palin seemed to deviated from her fear of Canadian medicine and revealed that her family may have benefited from the Canadian system:

PALIN: We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada. And I think now, isn’t that ironic?

This isn’t the first time Palin highlighted the difficulty of obtaining affordable health care in America. During the presidential campaign, Palin discussed how she and husband Todd had “gone though periods of our life here with paying out-of-pocket for health coverage until Todd and I both landed a couple of good union jobs.” At the Vice Presidential debate, Palin recalled “about times and Todd and our marriage in our past where we didn’t have health insurance and we know what other Americans are going through as they sit around the kitchen table and try to figure out how are they going to pay out-of-pocket for health care?”

Palin’s experience also demonstrates that American medical-tourism to Canada is common, despite conservatives’ claims that Canada’s health care system drives Canadians into the states. “Every year, thousands of Americans undergo surgery in other countries” where they can receive the same care “at half the price.” “In 2007, an estimated 750,000 Americans traveled abroad for medical care; this number is anticipated to increase to six million by 2010″ — far outpacing the number of Canadians coming into the United States for medical treatment. It’s good to know that Palin was once one of them.

5 Responses to “Palin Admits To Travelling To Canada For Health Care”

1. Daniel Pereira Says:

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   Bloody hell…the insane hypocrisy of it.

   March 8th, 2010 at 3:33 pm

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2. John from Calgary Says:

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   Local news raises a good question: There’s a sponsorship controversy brewing at city hall, and it’s all because of Sarah Palin.
   Some aldermen are questioning why the city-owned power company Enmax was one of the sponsors for the former vice-presidential candidate’s speech. “What is the benefit to the Calgary taxpayers and citizens of having their publicly-owned energy company pay to hear a foreign politician?” Alderman Ric McIver asks, while speaking with 660News. He believes if public dollars are going to fund an event, then the city should be getting something out of it. He has a long list of questions he wants to ask Enmax officials, like who approved this and why?

   Enmax is defending its decision though. “We’re like any other corporate enterprise; we look at it as good corporate exposure,” an Enmax spokesperson tells the Calgary Sun. Palin addressed a crowd of 1,200 at the BMO Centre on Saturday. Those in attendence paid between $150 to $200 per ticket.

   http://www.660news.com/news/local/article/33289–sarah-palin-sponsorship-controversy

   March 9th, 2010 at 8:49 am

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3. Christy Jones Says:

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   what a hypocrite :(

   March 9th, 2010 at 1:04 pm

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4. Harry Whitworth Says:

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   Its Sara Palin….SURPRISE???

   March 9th, 2010 at 6:26 pm

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5. Ellen Karp Says:

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   Slightly separate issue – but have to say it. The Canadian health care system is EXEMPLARY. The conservatives like to ferrett out the whiners and naysayers among us – and complainers about anything are easy to find anywhere. But we do have some of the best doctors, medical researchers and facilities in the world, the care is universal and excellent – and in most cases, the wait times to see doctors are grossly exaggerated by those unfamiliar with the system.

   March 10th, 2010 at 11:51 am

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