After two years there is still a raging battle over CCSVI  and the angioplasty procedure to address it, worldwide.

Canada frankly confuses me with their healthcare choices. I know that they have some excellent doctors there. I have talked to a few myself in connection with Canadians coming to the States for angioplasty. 

Of course it's the people in power who make the decisions and they usually do not have any more medical training then we do. They rely on their "experts", and some of the more colorful characters have been scrutinized all over the internet. No need to bring them anymore attention by mentioning names.

In all fairness, within a 50 mile radius of most American cities there is an eclectic mix of superior physicians and ones who shouldn't be allowed to practice medicine at all, IMHO. All of us have to be realistic and acknowledge that we have to do our own leg work when it comes to healthcare for us as well as our families. If medical care was truly about "wellness", both countries could be world leaders in healthcare.

If you are bored, this is an interesting read from the Copenhagen Institute about who makes our medical care decisions.

http://www.coin.dk/default.asp?aid=1625

 *Only 37th in the WHO report. CNN.com, in verifying Moore's claim, noted that France and Canada both placed in the top 10.  However, WHO rankings reflect implicit value judgments and lifestyle preferences that differ among individuals and across countries.

**During the health-care debate, one damning statistic keeps popping up in newspaper columns and letters, on cable television and in politicians' statements: The U.S. ranks 37th in the world in health care.

"The study is both flawed and dated, but that does not necessarily mean that we are doing better on health care than the study indicates." — David Beemer

*** For 2010, the United States barely makes it into the top fifty, at 49th place. Life expectancy in the United States is 78.24 years, while the longest life expectancy is in:

Monaco at 89.78 years.

Canada: 81.39 years (est. 2011).

Angola: 37.85 (est 2011)

 Looking at the infant mortality rate, we find that 44 other countries have a lower rate. The rate for the United States is 6.14%, while the lowest is in Monaco at 1.78%.

Physician salaries are of interesting note: http://www.profilesdatabase.com/physician-compensation.html

*http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9236

**

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125608054324397621.html

***http://illuminate.newsvine.com/_news/2010/08/12/4872424-us-healthcare-rankings-not-good