US presidential elections are slowly coming (scheduled for November 4). And as usually discussions on various topics are stormy. Iraq, oil prices, environmental issues and some others. Since we in Life Insurance Canada are selling health insurance too, we pay much attention to American health care system discussion. Why?

1. Health care system reform is hot topic also in Canada and changes in the US can influence also the mood of our citizens - negatively or positively.

2. It can has huge impact on insurance business in the USA. As a broker I am interested in getting news from other parts of world, especially when it's about our nearest neighbour.

both candidates believe some change is inevitable. Obama is more favoring single payer system (his plan relies on an employer mandate, new public and private insurance programs, and regulation. The core of the Obama plan is a requirement that employers either offer their workers insurance or pay a tax to help finance coverage for the uninsured), while McCain believes in market forces and promotes individually purchased insurance. Its centerpiece is a change in the tax treatment of health insurance.

And both sides are using Canada as an example very often. Democrats present us as a country, where everybody is covered and no one is facing bankrupt because of unpaid medical bills. On the other hand, republicans point at our long waits, obsolete technology, lack of doctors and patients rushed to the USA for treatment.

Which of these opinions is right? I believe there is no objective answer...