Earlier this month, Canadian physician Danielle Martin testified before a Senate committee on health care led by Bernie Sanders. She made some headlines because of an exchange she had with Richard Burr, the anti-Obamacare Republican from North Carolina, in which Dr. Martin gave as good as she got, repeatedly pointing out what Burr got wrong about healthcare in Canada.
I was so impressed that I invited her to join me on America Weekend to talk about her experience with Congress, but also to help explain both the successes and pitfalls of health care north of the border (where nearly every resident is insured) and why it’s not true that Canadians are running to the US for medical attention (she’s backed up by this research).
Dr. Martin is a family physician, assistant professor at the University of Toronto, and vice president for Medical Affairs and Health System Solutions at Women’s College Hospital. Listen to our conversation here.
Here’s the portion of the Senate committee hearing in which Dr. Martin calmly answers Senator Burr’s questions. My favorite part is towards the end, when Senator Sanders asks if the Canadian prime minister — who, like most in that country, strongly prefers the single-payer system — is a socialist…