Question:
Canadians Only Please?
John
2013-05-29 14:00:14 UTC
All I hear from my U.S. politicians is that we shouldn't have universal health care "like Canada" because "Canadians don't like their system and the wait times are ridiculous." Can I get some Canadian citizens to clear this up for me? Do you like your system? Are wait times really that terrible?
Fifteen answers:
?
2013-05-29 17:16:03 UTC
The system is not perfect but overall it is much better than a US private owned hospital.



You can compare the system to say the public library everyone pays for the books and staff . Those that use it do not have to pay directly. If you are doing special research you may have to go to say a University Library that not everyone can use and there may be extra fees for non students.



It is not a 100% pay absolutely everything for every known medical treatment. Sound like your private Insurance?



The big difference is the hospital is run as a public service and not as a BUSINESS to make money for the shareholders.



There are private clinics if you want to pay extra just like in the US.



Most of the medicare costs are covered by your taxes. You can get extra insurance if you want. The common one is Blue Shield/Blue Cross they are in the USA too..



My medicare monthly premium for years was $43 a month it recently changed to $0 even the unemployed can afford that. Do they pay tax? On everything they buy its called sales tax.



Do the wealthy pay more well sort of. They SPEND more. The insurance for ALL goes down if ALL participate. For the 99% it is a good system for the 1% with rare disease or extra ordinary things it still needs a little work.



The big debate is how much care you should get for a certain price. My price gets good value of care.

It is common sense that if you pay more you will get more. Now answer the question how much do you want to pay? Second question how much of your extra payment should go to the owners of the Hospital or makers of the equipment or drugs and how much towards your care? The accountants that process your bill the lawyers that sue for this or that. The companies that guarantee you a "FREE" something paid by medicare.

The company will even do your paperwork and ship directly to your door FREE to you. Where do you think they send the bill? FRAUD is a major cost in the USA. Do you have your FREE mobility chair?



In a traffic accident you spend more time fighting over which insurance company pays for which injury to which victim solves a lot of problems when the decision is just who goes in the first ambulance not what plan do you have and what hospital can we take you to.



The biggest complaint lately has been the cost of PARKING at the hospital. They feel the parking area should pay for itself and the medical budget is used for other things.Notice I did not mention getting a mortgage on your house to pay for the extras not covered by insurance. It does happen but that is the exception and does happen but not very often.



Is it perfect NO but is a lot better than some.



The US medicare system new law is huge in length 1000's of pages long full of little kickbacks and private deals for this or that for each congressman's or senator's district or BUSINESS friend.THAT is the real problem with care. Who gets the $$$ not who pays for it and how much do they pay.



Good Luck No program will satisfy the 100%. just aim for the high nineties.

There are more people in the USA with no medical care than there are people in Canada.
capitalgentleman
2013-05-30 13:38:54 UTC
A real wait time story: 3 years ago, my then partner hurt her knee while she was at work. Nothing serious; she had just aggravated an existing condition. We phoned the nursing station, and said we were coming in.



When we got there, the nurse practitioner was waiting for her. I was the one that had to go down to the office, and register that my partner had arrived - she was already being seen before we could even check in. And, this was a non-emergency visit.



If I want to see a doctor, I just go to the office. If I just drop in, I will have to wait for people with appointments, so, it might be an hour. If I phone, I can get an appointment for that day, or, perhaps the next day or two - easily. For a major checkup, they like a week or so notice, but, even that is on the outside.



The thing that makes us different though is that we have "universal" healthcare. That means a street bum who makes it to the emergency room of a hospital is seen before the billionaire who arrives a minute later, for the same condition. You cannot pay extra for better, or faster care. All are treated the same. The priority goes to the person needing care first, so, if the street bum has a heart problem, and the billionaire twisted his angle, the street bum is going first, as his problem is more serious.



So, rich people in the US can pay extra (a LOT extra) for better care, which can't happen in Canada. That is actually illegal here. However, a poor person is not denied what care they need.



And, while it is covered in taxes, and in a few places, premiums (which are really low - $300 a year max in Ontario, and that would be for people making $150,000 a year or more), when you go in, you pay nothing. My daughter was a 2 month preemie - I worked out the costs in the USA, and I would have lost my house, and a great deal more, and likely still be owing. My actual cost? Well, I popped down to the cafeteria for a snack once. Cost me a few dollars, but, that was my choice. There were no fees, or charges whatsoever - it was all 100% covered.



There are issues, of course. Drugs are not covered in most places, and dental is not covered either. But, Canadians live longer, and healthier lives, with a better infant mortality rate, and so on. The system works, and overall works really well. We have very high quality in Canada, but, health care is seen as a service, much like fire, and police protection, not as a business. The whole attitude is different here.
knh959
2013-05-29 15:26:18 UTC
I too have lived in both the USA and Canada. The US system is efficient, professional and provides quality care. The Canadian system is less efficient, just as professional and provides just as quality care. The biggest difference between the two is that in the USA health-care is a business. Businesses are there to make a profit for their shareholders and owners. In Canada, health-care is a social service. Social service is there to provide something to people who need it.



Canadian health-care system is far from perfect. Yes, there can be long waits for non-life threatening procedures such as hip replacements and knee replacements. There can even be lengthy waits for things like heart surgery if the patient is deemed not to be an acute case. On the other side of the coin, if someone has a life threatening illness or injury that person will receive immediate, professional and quality care and that person won't have to worry about his insurance running out or refusing to pay nor will he have to take out a 2nd mortgage on his home to pay for it.



It's noteworthy for you as an American to understand that the United States is the ONLY industrialized country in the world that does not have some form of universal health-care. EVERY other developed country, wherever in the world it may be has it in some form or another.



It has always mystified me why Americans are so afraid of socialized medicine.
Karen L
2013-05-29 16:46:59 UTC
You're hearing propaganda, probably paid for by the companies that make a pile of money from Americans needing health care and are scared that their cash cow will dry up.



I like our medical system just fine and would absolutely never trade it for what you have in the US.

It isn't perfect, but what system is? Ours is at least fair and universally accessible. There is no such thing as not seeing a doctor because you have no coverage and no money. No Canadian will ever have to get a second mortgage or sell their house to pay for medical care or be faced with a bill larger than their annual income. You get treated for whatever you have, no matter how it was caused, as long as it's considered medically necessary by a doctor.



Wait times vary tremendously, depending what you are waiting for. You can see a GP almost anytime within a day or two, and if you can't wait that long there are walk-in clinics in most places where you will be seen in less than an hour. If a GP feels you need to see a specialist they will refer you to one and that's where the wait times can be long. If you have something urgent, you will be looked after before people who have less urgent problems.



I've had my go-arounds in the medical system and while I naturally feel that some things could have happened faster, I can't honestly complain. If I had had to wait until I could pay for treatment, I'd still be waiting for some of it.



Cancer? A biopsy was taken on Friday, the oncologist called on Saturday to tell me to go to chemo on Monday.



I've had hip replacements. It took time, over 6 months, to get to see the specialist but once I did, he operated within 2 months, as soon as he could fit me into the schedule. But hey, I was still walking around(sort of) and not usually in severe pain.



I was recently referred to another surgeon about arthritis in my hand. Saw him within a couple of weeks and he said I could have the surgery almost anytime I choose, practically no wait for that one.



The most I have ever had to pay for any medical thing was about $150 for some special bandages.
Annie
2013-05-29 14:53:20 UTC
I am a Canadian who has worked in the US, so I have experienced both systems of health care. I worked as a medical professional in both Canada and the US, so I can testify as an "insider."



In the long run, I prefer the Canadian system. I can go see my family doctor almost any time I need to. Any medical procedure I need, including getting lab work done, is completely covered by my provincial health care. Same thing for seeing any doctors, including family doctors and specialists. If I have to go into the hospital, everything is covered. The vast majority of my prescription drugs are covered by my health care, after paying a small deductible - one of my medications is very expensive, and would cost thousands of dollars per dose if I were to get it in the US. The cost of my health care insurance is approx. $60 a month. I have an extended health care insurance plan to cover the cost of medications not covered by the provincial plan. It also covers some of the costs of things like eyeglasses, orthotics, braces, and even dental care.



On the downside, getting in to see a specialist can take weeks or months. It can take months or even years to get some elective surgical procedures done, especially something like knee replacements. That's because OR time is rationed by the provincial government - as there isn't enough in the provincial budget to pay for the nurses and anesthesiologists.



When I lived in the US, I worked at a major hospital which had its own HMO, and the insurance costs were low compared to that which John Q. Public must pay for. I had a very low yearly deductible, after which all of my prescription meds and doctor visits were covered. When I had to have surgery done, my deductible was approximately 1/3 of the total bill (including the surgeon's fees).



I know my US experience was different from what I call "regular people" have. I know that most people have to pay a lot to get health care coverage at all. Medications can be expensive. Surgical procedures can cost $$$$$. People can easily go bankrupt to get the health care they need. On the upside, elective surgery can be done within weeks after seeing the surgeon. Cardiac bypass surgery or angiography can be done immediately or shortly after a patient has a heart attack. In Canada, that sort of surgery could be delayed by weeks or months. I had a friend who brought his father from Canada to get bypass surgery done - the father got his surgery 10 days after his heart attack, versus the 6 weeks he would have had to wait for the same surgery. Fortunately for the father, the son was a doctor who had the $$ to pay for the surgery.



So, in the long run, I'd take Canada every time.
thinkingtime
2013-05-29 15:10:36 UTC
Love our system. I've had cancer twice and each time was treated well and effectively. Last time I went to the ER of the inner city hospital I use, triage was in 15 minutes and I was in in 35 minutes, on a Sunday evening.



I\m still solvent and have no fears about the future medical treatment I will need. I just show my health card.



I don't contribute much to healthcare fees as I cannot work, but it was never expensive.
Chix
2013-05-29 16:20:17 UTC
Yes, wait times in emergency hospitals can be as long as 8 hours and it is the last place I want to go...

Yes, we have an aging population that is growing each day, and not enough beds

Yes, there is a shortage of doctors in some urban areas and SOME doctors do exploit the system

Yes, there are some patients who have to wait too long for chemotherapy - or MRI - and in high risk cases - they have gone to the US to get it done (and paid for it)



Having said all that, as a person who has stayed in our hospitals, and is reliant on the system to keep me alive, I would NEVER live anywhere but Canada.



The system is not perfect - there are people who fall through the cracks but overall its without question - an absolute necessity and regardless of your age, income bracket or status, as a Canadian citizen you are guaranteed coverage . (Obviously cosmetic surgery and things that are deemed non-essential are not under the same umbrella)



I cannot imagine being in the US ...it frightens me to read some of the horror stories and the fact that people can loose everything if one of the family members becomes seriously ill and does not have insurance.
Ric
2013-05-29 15:29:47 UTC
Do you like your system?

- I absolutely do. I would not trade it for the USA's profit first system for anything.



Are wait times really that terrible?

- No. If you have a real need for medical attention, you will receive it in a very timely manner. If you go to the ER because you have diarrhoea, you'll wait a bit. And those are the people you hear complain, when frankly, they should have just drank some water and taken some pepto bismol and not gone to the ER in the first place.
SteveN
2013-05-29 14:44:38 UTC
Canadian: Born in Montreal, QC. Lived here all my life.



What I can tell you is that I would not trade the Canadian universal healthcare for what Americans have for anything in the world. I can go to any hospital, get treated for just about any life-threatening disease or injury and it costs me absolutely nothing. (Important to note: Nothing for that visit, but we all pay for healthcare through annual income taxes...)



I've been treated for gastro, a back sprain, and a hernia. Only charge to me was when I requested a semi-private room for the hernia operation recovery.



My father has had several broken bones, a severed finger, and a heart attack that was all covered by the healthcare system. A year or two ago, he had to be taken to the hospital due to chest pains. Because of his history of heart disease, he was seen within minutes of arriving at the hospital ER, and in ten minutes was hooked up to an ECG machine. Again, no charge. Only bill that came in was for the ambulance ride ($90), which is not covered by medicare.



My mother fell and dislocated her elbow about five years ago. Same situation. Sent to hospital by ambulance. Treated almost immediately. Back home in about six hours. Total bill was the ambulance ride.



Yes, there are some horror stories I can tell you regarding wait times:



- My dad was on a waiting list for 8 months to get TESTED for heart disease when he had his heart attack.



- When he severed his finger on a woodworking plunge router, it took almost an hour to see the triage nurse, and nearly 13 hours to get the finger repaired and stitched up, and that could have been longer except the doctors indicated that if they do not fix the finger within 12 hours there is a risk that the cells die and the finger could not be saved. The problem is that in Quebec, there is a shortage of doctors, and often there is only one doctor on call in the ER, especially on weekends.



- Speaking to a group of North Bay, Ontario tourists who happened to be in our area, they reported waits of 3-5 hours in hospitals in their province.



- Some people have been waiting months or even years for elective surgery, like removal of benign tumours or bariatric surgery.



But when you consider that the AVERAGE cost of a hospital visit in USA for 2011 was reported as $15,734 and increasing annually, that a serious illness could result in bankruptcy, and that insurance companies are allowed to stop covering you if they believe you are placing too many claims or have an "undisclosed pre-existing condition", I would much prefer our method and coverage to the US version, even with the wait times.



Where the longest wait times are in Canada's system is with the scheduling of tests. It can take months to get a medical test done if your doctor does not consider it a priority. That is where Canadian private companies can offer services for those who can afford to pay. Think of it as a two-tier system but only for things like blood tests, CAT scans, and such.



If the US were to implement a form of universal healthcare, IF IMPLEMENTED CORRECTLY, it would cost Americans less than what they are paying now in tax dollars. The proposed healthcare reforms that you have, from what I see would cost the taxpayer a few dollars more per year.



But to get it done right, you really have to get past the lobbyists that end up watering down the system and corporations paying off your politicians to kill the bill. Between the misinformation given out by the phamaceutical companies and the insurance people who don't want to lose their profits, it's unlikely you will get any really good system enacted any time soon.



Of course, what do I know? I'm just a Canadian.
?
2013-05-29 14:11:46 UTC
Here's the reality of it:



I get some token amount taken off my paycheque in the form of taxes, some of which goes towards Canadian Universal Healthcare - you'll note it is not 'free' like many suggest.

If I need a doctor for some reason, I don't receive a bill for services. Period.

Conversely if say some unemployed single mother of two can't afford coverage, it is provided for her and her kids at no charge - subsidized by the Government [eg me the taxpayer].

That all seems perfectly reasonable. All Canadian regardless of income or status have free medical care [not including optical wear, prescriptions, dental...]



Wait line waits are subjective.

When I had some of my finger taken off and needed the bits sewn back together yes I waited for what seemed an eternity... always does when you're uncomfortable. That said the priority is that single mothers child who gets her medical paid by me is in the ER with a kid who has a broken leg.

Broken bones always get the front of the line over stitches or fevers.

And yes there can be a waiting list months long for such crucial things as hip replacement let's say... but if push came to shove and the need was immediate you'd move to the front of the line. People don't die because the wait line was too long, they'd be the priority as I who could manage was defered.

Even in the USA I'm sure hospitals practice triage.



If I didn't want to seek medical treatment for free via my Universal Healthcare... I could drive 10mins to the local private medical clinic and pay for the privilege of having anything done from a hangnail tended or open heart surgery.

I don't 'have' to go the Healthcare route if for any reason I choose not to, we have public and private medical care.



"Do you like your system?"



World opinion...



CANADA MOST LIVABLE CITIES

"The Economist magazine again has ranked three Canadian cities are among the world's top five most livable cities, Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary made The Economist magazine's 2012 list released earlier this week. The survey ranks 140 cities based on a number of factors, including health care, stability, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/08/15/most-livable-cities-top-ten-economist.html



CANADA BEST G20 FOR WOMEN

"Canada best G20 country to be a woman; Policies that promote gender equality, safeguards against violence and exploitation and access to healthcare make Canada the best place to be a woman among the world's biggest economies, a global poll of experts showed on Wednesday..."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/13/us-g20-women-idUSBRE85C00420120613



It works for me, best of both worlds :) And if I have a medical emergency I'll never be released to come home, recovering with an unmanageable debt.
Cheryl
2013-05-29 14:28:45 UTC
i like the system and i have yet to find any wait times excessive for any healthcare i have ever accessed in my lifetime ... it is nice to not have to worry about having money when sick ... i have had a chronic illness for over five years and my care and medication are covered 100% ... and having worked at canadian hospitals for the majority of my adult life and more than twenty years, i have never saw a patient not get the treatment they required ... does it happen sometimes, maybe, life isn't perfect ...
Randy
2013-05-29 18:58:11 UTC
1) my daughter spent the first 2 weeks of her life in a neonatal ICU. Our bill for all that plus the helo ride to get there from our rural area... $124.00 for the parking we used.



2) my heart attack...in and through Emerg to the CCU in 20 min. Hows that for wait times? 3 days in the hospital and our bill for that...$0.00



3) moms breast cancer...surgery, hospital care, reconstructive surgery and all treatments and aftercare.... $0.00



4) dads heart attack and quad bypass. Done within the first 24 hours once he was stabilized, 5 days in the hospital, home care services and rehab....our bill.... $0.00



I could go on but you get my point. Is our system perfect? No, nobobies is but I'd take our system over that in the US anyday.
tazzybeer06
2013-05-29 14:11:24 UTC
LOL This is a No brainer. So ask yourself should you sell your house,car and soul for hospital care

or sometimes wait for treatment. hmm think now? us politicians are paid by lobby groups to side with them. like the nra think of all the profit the gun companies get when everyone can run around with a gun. all about money. same hospitals make money. Do we like our system ya sure we do we pay enough taxes. I fail to understand why retarded people would oppose a universal health care for all.

maybe those people love it when homeless people are somewhat treated and put on a one way ticket

out of town. so what is there to clear up. nothing. listen to obama he wants health care and the voters

voted the man to do a job.
Kayla
2013-05-29 21:37:57 UTC
Everyone has said everything that needs to be said, but I'll chime in with another. I would never live anywhere without public healthcare. Period.
?
2013-05-29 20:55:32 UTC
US politicians saying we don't like our system are full of crap. Period.



In November 2004, we named Tommy Douglas (the politician/activist who founded our healthcare system) as being the Greatest Canadian of All Time.

That's a damn big hint that we love our system. And what's not to love?



By law (the Canada Health Act) we receive all medically-necessary care as determined solely by doctors & hospitals:

-All neonatal, preventive, primary, emergency, diagnostic, rehabilitative & follow up care.

-All of it provided without limit or limitation.

-All of it prepaid by taxation regardless of preexisting condition or personal ability to pay.



Our coverage extends nationwide everywhere we choose to live or travel in Canada.

It even extends outside of Canada for emergency care during international travel AND also for situations where medical-necessity requires a top specialist or procedure not available in Canada.



Unlike managed care in the US, we choose our own doctors, specialists, clinics & hospitals.

We're not limited to lists of so-called "authorized providers" like many Americans are.



Your President, Congress and Senate doesn't get all that.

If they're sick or hurt while travelling, they have to go home to the US to get treated.

So how messed up is US health care when even the poorest, nobody Canadians gets better care than the most famous and powerful US politicians?



Additionally:



Our Federal government's only role in healthcare is funding & regulatory oversight.

And in relation to tax revenues, payment isn't tied to a person's personal taxes, but national tax revenues.



The government of each of Canada 10 Province & 3 Territories is the health insurer for its residents.

Each issues health insurance cards to their residents as proof of coverage.

When we need care, we present our cards for validation and that's all there is to it.

There's no clipboard full of forms to fill out like in the States.

Our doctors, clinics and hospitals bill the government of whatever Province or Territory the patient is from, not the patient.

The only hospital bills we pay are if we rent a phone, TV or internet service for our room.



As for wait times, no they're not as bad as US vested interests make them out to be.

There's no wait times for emergency care. (Patients are triaged according to need.)

There are wait times for elective (non emergency) care.

But our system has mechanisms built into it to identify & reduce wait times.



The US can't claim the same since y'all don't have an actual national healthcare system.

America's own (and increasingly lengthier) wait times are atrocious:

Link - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-burger/ugly-health-care-waiting-_b_55749.html

Link - http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-07-08/the-doctor-will-see-you-n-three-months



Then there's stuff like this:



Harvard Medical: "Canadians healthier than Americans, study says"

Link - http://www.rickdykstra.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=141&Itemid=49



Kaiser-Permanente Northwest: "Canadians healthier, live longer than Americans"

Link - http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/article/802388--canadians-healthier-live-longer-than-americans?bn=1



The annual Commonwealth Report: "U.S. scores dead last again in healthcare study"

Link - http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/06/23/us-usa-healthcare-last-idUSTRE65M0SU20100623



Also: Two persistent US myths about Canadian healthcare debunked.

First up is the myth that we're taxed to death for the privilege of having universal healthcare.

Reality is that Canadians pay fewer taxes per person than Americans do:

Link - http://gregmankiw.blogspot.ca/2010/03/taxes-per-person.html



Second myth is that we all flee to the US for healthcare.

That one was mythbusted years ago:

Link - http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpress/phantoms-in-the-snow/



Not to mention studies that find patients in US-style for-profit care more likely to:

1.) Die:

Link - http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-05/uab-ufh052202.php

2.) Suffer medical errors:

Link - http://psychcentral.com/openjournal/story/0421001118.htm

3.) Get sicker from wasteful, needless over-treatment:

Link - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/07/health/main6557062.shtml



So hell yes I love our system. And I'm not the only Canadian who does.

If you had any brains at all, you'd immigrate. And I sincerely mean that.

Life's too short and too precious to put up with up with the crap you people do with co-pays, deductibles, pre-authorizations, authorized provider lists, medical bill bankruptcies, insanely high prices and health insurer claims departments having more say over patient care than doctors.

US healthcare isn't just backwards or immoral, it's literally insane from a Canadian perspective.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...