[brg]

It is not true that wait times are only an issue for urgent care situations. If my grandmother can not walk without hip replacement surgery, and she is going to wait in a bed in for months, I'm happy to send her to the states for surgery.

Excessive wait times have been an issue for a very long time. Things are getting better, in part because there is a drastic comparison to quality of life health care across the border.

http://www.cma.ca/multimedia/CMA/Content_Images/Inside_cma/M...

[slantyyz]

But what would the case be for an American grandmother under 65 without insurance or relatives who have the means to pay for the hip replacement?

EDIT: For those interested in the wait time stats for Canada, the CIHI has statistics compiled annually.

http://waittimes.cihi.ca/

[brg]

I am not intracately familiar with the services provided in the states, but I believe the answer is Medicare for retirees and Medicare for the uninsured poor. Medicare would cover the cost of many non-elective quality of life procedure.

I'm sure these programs are not all encompassing, and free or reduced cost solutions like Catholic hospitals are not ubiquitous, hence the discussion in the States about reform.