My only question, if our system is better why is it easier and faster for me to go to Buffalo or Rochester, New York for some of the expensive diagnostic procedures ie. MRI etc?

Diabetes rates are higher here because obesity is more common and sets in at an earlier age. Thanks to ignorant/pushover parents, easily accessible junk food, video games and TV. Canada may have its fair share of couch potatoes with their puffy cheeks, but your population is balanced out by wilderness workers (roughnecks, fisherman, loggers) and natives. I doubt any of those groups have significant diabetes problems even with a high calorie diet.

nan according to the study americans are only 6% more likely to be obese than canadians are yet there is a 42% jump in diabetes from the US to Canada. the only significant differences are the health care systems and the much higher number of latinos and blacks in the american populace. i've never run across anything to suggest that either latinos nor blacks are more prone to diabetes than us whitebread types are. native americans seem to have a problem that way but they don't make up much of the populace and shouldn't skew the numbers much.