I used to think the healthcare system in Canada was great. This was until we needed to have an elective surgery. As we were paying for the surgery, we decided to find the best doctor for the best price and ended up going across the border. And discovered just how superior the doctors and hospitals are in the United States.

Now, I know many people think all healthcare in Canada is free. This is not true. Basic services are covered. But many other things are not including: ambulance, prescription drugs, eyecare, dental, casts, mental healthcare, etc. For these things you need an extended plan, usually through your employer, and with a premium. I have an extended healthcare plan at work, it costs us about $130 a month and covers a percentage of the 'extras'. We also have to pay into our universal healthcare, as we make too much $ (it is pro-rated) and that is $90 a month.

So, our healthcare is not actually free. It is $220/month. My employer pays the rest.

Now, take into account that healthcare comes from tax dollars. DH and I pay close to 1/3 of our wages in taxes. If I make $1000 the government takes $300.

Add into the equation that our sales tax is 13% on almost everything we buy.

Now, factor in that our hospitals suck. The facilities suck, the equipment is in demand, the nurses and doctors are understaffed. Go to an ER and expect to wait a good 5-6 hours. If I were to go to the hospital in my city to give birth I would not be able to have an epideral or c-section between the hours of 4pm-9am. No-one is on staff to perform the procedure.

So, for you Americans. If you had the choice, would you switch to universal healthcare?

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Absolutely. For decent private health insurance in our area it would cost upwards of $600 per person, and that most likely come with a high deductible.
It's my understanding that it really depends on the area you are in in Canada as to what kind of equipment etc they have. Similar to USA, and to be expected.

5-6 hours in the ER really isn't really shocking either.

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Dear Jacquie,
You were right about everything.
-Jacie

Curious as to what you pay in income tax? Because, as a family, we are looking at about close to $2000/mnth. For two people. That's a lot, considering we both have blue collar jobs. Does that factor in?

About half of my family is American. Pretty much all of us think the US system is better.

But, then again, none of us are technically poor.

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Oh my, I would never want to deal with healthcare in the states JAcie. I know WAY too many people that cant get coverage out there, or the coverage is so limited.
A woman I know from another board just found out that her insurnace will not cover labour and delivery, and because it will be a repeat c section, it will be over 20,000 dollars!

Here, in canada, with our basic coverage (which even the max amount for a family of 5 is only 100/month... not even) all emergency is covered, we can choose ANY doctor we want, not jsut the dr an insurance company covers, we pay NO pro-rate for bloodwork xrays, u/s nothing. If you injur yourself and end up in the er in the states without a GOOD insurance plan, you are royally screwed. My dad's family lived most of their life in the states and they constantly say how we dont appreciate how lucky we are with our health system here.
YES our hospitals are slow... its FREE! more people end up going there, same with walk-in clinics etc... FREE, so more people, slower lab results because they arent just private clinics providing services for those that can afford it, they are providing FREE testing for everyone.

They did a documentary recently about what its like to live in the states without medical, and the couple doing the investigation ended up in a state of bankrupcy due to a broken arm (or wrist, cant remember)
PLUS, if you are making under 16,000/year,you pay NOTHING at all,and you get free prescription drugs, free dental etc. (while you are on welfare you have absolutely everything covered as well which makes it easier for families living below the poverty line to keep their kids healthy.)

My d/h's plan at work covers all five of us for free, it is included as part of his work bonus. We pay nothing. We have a health card that we swipe at the [harmacy for all our prescription drugs. We pay 20.00/year deductible. Covers chiropractor, a couple grand for fertility drugs, glasses, orthopedic shoes, fake breasts if you have had to have a mastectomy.... the list goes on.

Talk to alot of Americans and I bet they will tell you that they would prefer our very basic medical and a slight wait in services, than the outrageous amounts they have to pay.

I think our people in the medical profession out this way are overworked and underpaid because it is government controlled, they are very restricted. Thats why many of our good doctors go down south to the states to make real money at private clinics.

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Mere,

The thing is, our health care is not free. It just seems that way. Medicare is paid for by our taxes. Which are very high.....

So, yes, for people who are on Welfare, or who are very low income with many children, the healthcare system is GREAT. But for the rest? Not so good. I would never want to be an American with a job without medical insurance. However, for those who are regular folk with decent jobs, the system in the USA is better, in my opinion.

Also, I understand that kids that live in poverty need basic healthcare, and should not be denied it. However, it does not seem fair that people who work for a living do not qualify for free dental/prescriptions/vision care and still cannot afford it for their kids. But those who do not work get it all for free.

It is very rare for an extended medical plan not to have a substantial cost. Are you sure it is only $20/year? They do not deduct anything from his cheque?

I dunno. Like I said, I have about thirty American relatives that all support the US system. And about the same in Canada who feel the same way. But, like I said, we all have somewhat decent jobs.

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What crap. If you had to pay for elective surgery, you were either rooked or were paying for cosmetic surgery. I've had over 10 surgeries, a couple of them elective, but deemed necessary and I never paid jack.

And not every province pays even the $90/month - there are several who pay nothing or very little - we pay less than $90/month - my brother pays nothing. It's the provinces who decide whether their citizens will pay into the system - not the federal gov't.

Mental healthcare IS covered - what isn't is if you decide all on your ownsome lonesome to start seeing a psychotherapist or something. Our kids saw a pyschologist when we had 2 deaths in the family, back to back (my dad's and my SIL's) and they needed more help than we were able to give them. My dh saw a psychologist a few times after his sister died when he felt he wasn't handling things well - we never paid a dime - for his visits, or for the kids' visits. Our doc referred them, they were seen immediately, and we paid nothing.

My daughter's foot cast and my wrist cast were also covered - we paid nothing out of pocket for either of them, or the visit.

Those of us with money pay, sure - but right now, if I was on my own and making jack for $$, my kids' dental would be totally covered by specific programs within the province. Also, all the kids' eye exams in my province are free anyway, regardless of your financial status, up until they're 18 - I have to pay for the actual glasses, but not the exam. I pay $$ for MY eye exam but it's not an exhorbitant amount in the slighest - less than $100.

Oh for pity's sake. Our basic healthcare is free - we don't pay jack for a doctor's visit, we don't pay jack for any stay in the hospital, we don't pay jack for any procedures we have unless they're considered cosmetic or not deemed medically necessary (ie. circumcision, for one). We don't pay jack for months and months of cancer treatment, preemies are cared for, for eons, without the parents seeing a bill for that care, major heart surgeries are covered - big $$ procedures if you were to have to actually pay.

Relatives were just in a major car accident - sure, they will have to pay for the initial ambulance ride to the nearest hospital, but once admitted to that hospital, everything was paid for by the system - even when they were lifeflighted out to the nearest major centre, the ambulance ride from the airport to the hospital and all their procedures and care since then - they will pay NOTHING.The majors are covered and we're damned lucky. Quit b!tching. $90/month is peanuts compared to the thousands upon thousands you would be paying per procedure, the hundreds of dollars you'd pay for office visits if we had the US system. For pity's sake, all our health clinic visits are paid for - we don't pay for basic immunizations unless you're going out of country - I've never once paid for my kids' immunizations. Even with its foibles, the Canadian system is better.



Boo hoo. We pay less taxes than many other countries and get twice as much for it.

No - your PST is 7% and the GST is 6% - and if you don't like how high the cost of living is in BC, and having to pay an additional 7% sales tax, move to Alberta. You can't NOT get a job in Alberta right now - even the fast food joints are paying up to $15/hr - and you would be living in a debt free province, and not paying the extra sales tax.

Again, bullsh!te. If it's a freaking emergency, they're going to bring people in to perform the procedure - and in the event of an emergency c-section, boo freaking hoo if you can't have a spinal - better the baby be born ASAP than appeasing the mother. It would cost them half the amount to pull people in after hours, than it would to pay out a lawsuit to you, if they didn't come in and something happened. They're not stupid.

And if it's a true emergency, for other conditions, they'll get you in immediately. I just had a lump - I got in to be seen within a day and a half.

Every hospital I've been in, even the piddly little ones, has been fine. I've had more than 10 surgeries - I've been in several. The facilities were adequate and I received pretty good care. People wait in emerg for hours because people are frucking stupid and go in for minor boo-boo's and sniffles that could wait to be seen at a regular doctor's office the next day, or instead of going to an after-hours clinic.

Even with the problems the system faces, I'd not trade it for anything else.

I don't really know much about the Universal Health Care Plan that our idiot president has come up with(I'm sure it's a doosy though), but I do think that all legal Americans should receive healthcare.

For us, we pay like $40 a month for our premiums(through dh's employer)and we have a $20 co-pay for Dr's visits/ER trips. Insurance covers 90-95% of all medical procedures(except for cosmetic things)and dental coverage is 80-95% depending on what you have done. They include braces in that coverage. It's actually really good insurance. The only problem I have had with it is when my 2 year old had dental surgery, the insurance company denied covering the procedure because it was considered cosmetic. Huh? On a 2 year old. We fought them for about a year, until we decided to just pay it. We are still trying to get them to pay for it, but we had to start making payments to the hospital to avoid collection notices.

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"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged." -- Ronald Reagan

Also - I've lived under both systems, and one entire half of my family lives under the US system and would trade it in a heartbeat, for what we have here. YOU don't know jack about what you're talking about - quelle surprise - not much new there.