The Myth of Universal Healthcare in Canada - One Mom's Out-of-Neccessity Out-of-Hospital Birth

This morning I read a tale about a soon-to-be Canadian mom, married to a Canadian husband who was going to give birth to a Canadian, who because of bureaucratic lolly-gagging couldn't get health insurance to cover an in-hospital birth. As a result they welcomed their new addition in a hotel bath tub across the street from the hospital with the aid of a midwife. Luckily the child and mother were fine - but what kind of system do we have where this kind of thing happens in the first place? Where you want a hospital birth but choose a 'home' birth because of the expense?

This isn't a case of some medical tourist coming to Canada for the express purpose of obtaining free health care and then returning to their country of origin with no intent of making Canada their home. This is the birth of a Canadian's child, and even if his wife isn't yet Canadian - surely his child's birth should be covered?!? Should a Canadian be forced to choose between taking on the risks of a Homebirth to his or her child because the mother is not a Canadian - or paying the hefty cost of an uncovered hospital birth? Ironically, if the mother was Canadian and the father was an immigrant - the birth would be covered - so why should the child be disadvantaged because of the gender of its parent giving birth?

I am greatly disappointed in the Canadian healthcare system - that this family felt they needed to make the choices they made....what have we come to?