9. August 2009 by Dan Walkow, CFA, CMT.

Canadians often complain about the wait time to see a doctor or health care specialist. This is due to Canada’s universal healthcare system where all persons are entitled to care.

It would appear that the move to universal healthcare in the US by the Obama administration will bring more “Canadian like problems” to the US healthcare system.

Long wait times in Boston may be driven in part by the healthcare reform initiative that was put in place in Massachusetts in 2006. The initiative succeeded in covering many of the state’s uninsured patients. However, it has been reported that many patients in Massachusetts are encountering difficulty in accessing physicians. Survey results support these reports. Long appointment wait times in Boston also may signal what could happen nationally in the event that access to healthcare is expanded through healthcare reform. Increased demand resulting from improved access to care for approximately 47 million uninsured people can be expected to extend doctor appointment wait times in many markets.

See more at Carpe Diem here.

Posted in Healthcare | No Comments »

9. August 2009 by Dan Walkow, CFA, CMT.

One of the most talked-about tax issues south of the border is the future of the U.S. estate tax. The current regime is set to expire at the end of this year.

The US estate tax issue is in a state of flux and could face signifigant changes in the upcoming year. This bears watching and will impact imvestment policy for wealthier investors who are Americans in the US and abroad as well as Canadians who have substantial US investments. Stay tuned!

Read what Jamie Golombek at the Financial Post has to say here.

Posted in Taxation | No Comments »